Dream like Reality
by AllTheEndlessPossibilities
Summary: AU. Dreams have a way of sending us places we never want to go. For Katniss her dreams are horrifying though they never make sense. But when a character in her dream makes a realistic appearance, she starts to question if her dreams are in fact a reality.
1. Prologue

Hello everyone. Anyone who was reading _'Its in the Lyrics' _Sorry for the abrupt deletion of that story. But I was being threatened that it might be removed if the songs in the fiction were not removed and I think we all well know the songs were crucial to the story line therefore removing them would have made the story make no sense, so I saw no point in continuing the story. Anyways, I got sucked into the Hunger Games fandom because of a friend who wanted to watch the movie, and I decided better read the books before I see the movie but the books were enough to turn me into a bloody fangirl.

And so here we are people. With my New Fanfic. Fueled by my new obsession.

I own absolutely **nothing** but the Story I am telling. The Characters and Original plot line belong to Suzanne Collins.

This story will be told between 1st person pov and 3rd person pov.

Enjoy.

xoxoxoxox **Prologue** oxoxoxoxox

I can clearly remember when the nightmares began. It had been the day my father died, a day I'm sure neither I, nor anyone else in the whole of the world will ever forget. My father had moved us from the small little quiet town of Panem, in the State of Virginia to the hustle and bustle of the city life of the grand New York City. We had moved there a month after I had turned ten in June.

I remember loving the idea of leaving Panem, and its gossipy town's people behind. Not many people lived in Panem so everyone was in everybody's business. Word got around pretty fast in Panem and when my father who had been a firefighter was transferred to the City of New York in April of 2000 everyone who was anyone knew, that Alder Everdeen would be leaving.

My father was known for his singing, though he never truly pursued it as a profession. His voice; however, was still the talk of the town's people years later. They talked about the first time he stood up on stage during a show and tell, my father had been fourteen years old; he had been in middle school. His voice had silenced everyone, and taken their breathes away. In my mother's case it had stolen her heart.

His transfer was all anyone could talk about the weeks leading up to our departure. They talked about how a great man would be leaving them and how greatly he would be missed. My mother of course, Iris Everdeen would also be missed. A fine beauty she had been in her day, still beautiful of course in her older age. She was a nurse, always working to save others at Panem Memorial. My parents it seemed were in the business of helping people and I guess in a way it was in their nature.

My father was good at weaving his way through the burning buildings and rescuing others from the stuffy inferno. My mother was good with her hands, healing and fixing people who came into the hospital for all sorts of things. I loved them both very much, the two of them were a sight to be envied and I couldn't have been more proud of them.

I remember when we left Panem; a crowd had formed around our house and seen us off, through the small town as we drove off others waved their goodbyes, shouting their farewells to our open windows. I still remember the warm spring breeze the came in from the car windows.

My father had decided the best way to get to our new destination was to drive all the way there. Have some fun, take a journey. If we had driven none stop it would have taken about seven and a half hours to get to New York. But my father was also an adventurer and it took us three days because he just had to stop and admire things along the way.

The first week in New York was hard for me. I couldn't seem to make friends or adjust to the fast life of the city, and for some reason I missed the quiet feel of Panem. I actually missed the way women would hustle over to their neighbors telling each other who did what and what was going on. Everyone clearly informed about everyone's private affairs. I used to hate it, but for some reason that first week in New York I really missed it.

My father seemed to have felt sorry for me because one night after work he came home with a small four week old puppy in his hand. The dog was a blonde furry little Cairn terrier. He placed her on my lap as I had been sitting by the window that looked out to the city. From the view, though they were somewhat small I could see the two towers lit up at night.

"Here's a friend Katniss" he had told me as he placed the warm fuss ball on my lap. It had startled me as it stared at me with its beautiful blue eyes.

"What do I call her?" I asked. I didn't usually get along with animals, I remembered the old cat that used to hang around our place back in Panem, my father had named the ugly looking creature buttercup and it was evident from the very start that neither I nor buttercup would ever get along. However this small little dog took one look at me and by god I was a goner. I fell in complete love with the small animal and that little dog, well she fell right back in love with me.

"How about…Primrose?" he asked, I looked at my dad with a smile. He had a thing about flowers that man did. "We can call her Prim for short." He reached over and caressed Prim's head gently.

"I like it…"

"Primrose it is then." He had chuckled, my mother who had been watching from the kitchen smiled. That had been June 8th of 2000. We spent a whole Year in New York and in May 8th of 2001 I celebrated my eleventh birthday with my mother, father, and a few friends I had made in school and Prim, who coincidently turned a year old in human years on that very same day.

It had been a wonderful birthday, and I had practically forgotten all about my life in Panem in that short year. New York was a whole different taste; I decided this was definitely the Capitol of the world because you could see so many different people from so many different places there. If you wanted a grand luxurious place to be, New York was the place to see. I could already picture my life there in New York.

I pictured myself growing up, going to college, getting a job and getting married. Yeah I saw my whole life in that exciting city, made me giddy thinking about what college I would attend and what I'd want to be when I grew older. To me New York was dazzling, and beautiful I could never imagine not living in the city, and I definitely could never imagine what my life could ever be if I still lived in Panem. I really believed New York was a wonderful place…I don't think that anymore.

On the day that my father died, I had woken up late for school. My father had left for work at around seven as he usually did and I'm sure my mother was dead asleep as she had come home late from working an emergency the night before. I would start school at nine, but I woke up at eight forty that morning and I was just too lazy to get dressed and run my pretty little butt to school.

I figured I'll stay in. Picked up the phone and called my father and told him I wouldn't be going to school today. He said something about punishing me for my crime later that night which meant he'd attack me with a whole lot of trivia questions I would not be prepared for, but he still laughed and told me to take it easy and try not to wake my mother, he said he loved me and hung up.

That had been at around eight forty three, I remember because I looked at the clock. I took my time walking to the kitchen and putting the cordless phone on the charger, poured myself a glass of milk. By the time I made my way to the living room to open the curtains and look out the window towards the city it was eight forty five.

Prim had made her way to where I was, lazily lying by my feet as I stared out the window that morning. For a full minute everything was normal, peaceful even. Life in the city was continuing as it would on any ordinary day. I brought the glass of milk to my lips in seconds a very ordinary day turned into a catastrophic one.

I watched with horror from my place at the window, where the Two Towers were small but still very visible as something crashed into the tower and exploded fire into life. The glass fell from my hands and shattered on the ground as I registered what had happened and I had realized that an airplane had crashed into the North Tower. I was paralyzed for a moment before I rushed into my parent's room and woke my mother.

I pulled her out of bed frantically, dragged her into the living room and pointed out the window. It was around eight fifty then, I remember because I looked at the clock in my mother's room when I pulled her awake. It took seconds for my mother to register that the blaze she could see from the distance belonged to one of the Two Towers. Minutes passed and all we could do was stare in shock and horror at what had happened; of course I was more horrified having seen the collision of the plane.

We weren't standing there for too before my mother turned on the News and tried to get a handle of what was going on. I couldn't tear my eyes from the building though. Reports filled our apartment as they confirmed that a plane had indeed crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade center. Mid report however, the second wave of shock hit the nation as another plane crashed mercilessly into the South Tower.

I remember my mother cried out in shock, her hand clasped over her mouth. I had been starring at the Towers when the second plane hit, watched it live for the second time as it made a beeline for the second Tower and when I turned my head to the television and they replayed it what had just happened it was like reliving what I had just lived a second ago but with more clarity, more accuracy and fear filled me to the bone.

My father called at nine fifteen that morning. He told my mother he was being dispatched to the towers to help. My mother begged him not too but he said he had to go. It was his job. He told my mother he loved her. Told her it would be alright, that he'd be home that night for dinner….My father never came home that night.

I watched the towers from my window in the living room; my mother watched them from the screen of the television. I was shaking the whole time I stood there, unable to move, unable to think. Just watched the towers burn, from the television I could hear the reports but I knew if I opened that window I would probably be able to hear the screams of the people from all the way over here. Fifty nine minute after the South Tower was hit; it floundered and collapsed, twenty nine minutes later the North Tower followed.

Inside me I knew when that first tower fell my life would never be the same, I knew, I just knew that my father had probably been in one of those towers, trying to save someone's life and in the process he had lost his own. I knew it, because I began to shake, I knew it when my mother cried out and that day would forever be a day of infamy. That was the very first night the nightmares had begun.

The very first time I had dreamt with burning trees and bloody bodies. The first night I dreamt with the face of a boy I never knew who I tried to keep alive. When I watched the body of a little girl die in my arms, when I cried out as an explosion killed a beautiful girl with blue eyes and blonde hair.

On September 11 2001 I had lost my father and on that day for the very first time in a wicked vivid and realistic dream I heard a man shout into an Arena.

'_Let the 74__th__ Hunger Games Begin.'_

xoxoxoxoxo

Confused, you should be! Ha! This chapter was short but do stay tune to figure out what it all means, because I know that ending has left you a little bit confused.

Please review and tell me what you think, not much at the moment I know but I have big things planned, big things. Not a long story I hope it won't pass Ten chapters but do try and enjoy the ride as it comes.

ButaTokki.


	2. Chapter One

I own absolutely **nothing** but the Story I am telling. The Characters and Original plot line belong to Suzanne Collins.

This story will be told between 1st person pov and 3rd person pov.

Enjoy.

xoxoxoxox **Chapter One** oxoxoxoxox

The hollow pain that the death of Katniss's father brought to both her and her mother was unbearable. It transformed Katniss from a witty and outspoken girl into a quiet withdrawn individual and her mother…well she simply lost the will to live. For at least a month after the events of September 11, Katniss's mother wouldn't leave her room, leaving Katniss to basically fend for herself and if it wasn't for the money her father had left behind, Katniss didn't know what would have happened.

In November of that year her mother seemed to come to some sense when she decided she couldn't stay in New York City anymore, and honestly Katniss didn't fight her mother when she moved them back to the small town of Panem.

They moved into District Twelve, or at least that's what the residents of Panem called the part of the town they had moved back into. Katniss found herself standing in the two story house that belonged to her grandparents on her father's side. It took Katniss a week or so to work up the courage to go back to school, it was evident to all her old friends and everyone in the small town that neither Katniss nor her mother would ever be the same again.

Adjusting to life without her father was hard at first but she found that being back in Panem helped to ease the pain. One thing was certain; Katniss vowed that she would never ever set foot in New York City ever again. She found herself in a little routine. Every morning she would wake up and walk Primrose to the small park in the center of the neighborhood that connected all the districts of Panem.

There were twelve. The Park was jokingly called the Capitol of Panem since it interconnected all the districts. There were twelve entrances to the Park from each separate community and a Thirteenth entrance that was often called District Thirteen that lead out to the streets and shops, schools, the Hospital and Plaza of Panem.

Then if it was a school day she would go to school and make a beeline straight back to her house, walk Primrose again in the afternoon and then once again at night before starting again the next day. For a few months that was her routine. Avoid everyone but her dog and her mom although it seemed her mother was never present in their home as she was always hiding in the hospital these days.

Then a month after she had turned twelve (No party was held like the previous year, Katniss wanted no festivities she just wanted to be left alone) Prim's leash somehow got loose and the small little blond, blue eyes dog raced down the streets of District Twelve with Katniss very much at her heels, calling out her name.

They were running for a good five minutes until Primrose was captured in the strong capable arms of a young man who literally sprung out of nowhere and hugged her wiggling body tightly. Katniss came to a halt, panting heavily as she tried to catch her breath.

"Had you going pretty good..." His smooth voice captured Katniss, he was laughing and that laughter seemed to grab her attention. Very little things these days caught her attention.

"She ran off without warning." Katniss replied, closing one of her eyes as she tried to regulate her heartbeat, though standing around wouldn't help any so she began to pace slightly so she could ease her heart back to its regular beating.

"So it's a she." He said with a grin. "Doesn't surprise me, she's obviously taken by me." His reasoning to Prim being a girl had Katniss stop in her tracks and stare at him, with his grey eyes and dark hair. She wanted to say his reasoning was ridiculous but she bit her tongue and held back, simply glaring daggers at the guy.

"Can I have her back?" She opted to trying to get as far away from him as possible.

"Gale." He said simply.

"Her name is Primrose."

"Not the dog's" He said to her quick reply, obviously she was trying to brush him off but he would not be put aside so easily. "Mine." Katniss blinked starring at the boy. He looked about two years older than her and obviously taller. The more she looked at him the more she could easily mistake him for family with how closely he resembled her own grey eyes and dark down hair…but this boy was not in any way related to her.

"Oh…" was her intelligent reply.

"I'm Gale Hawthrone." His cocky smile had her furrowing her eyebrows unsure how to react.

"I'm Katniss Eve-"

"Everdeen, I know who you are." His cocky smile never wavered as he held Primrose in his arms as she calmed down and just hung in his hands. Katniss didn't know how to feel about the fact that he knew her.

"I don't know you."

"No I don't suppose you do." He handed Primrose over. "Our fathers used to be friends in high school. We meet once a long time ago." Katniss blinked at him.

"When?" Gale crossed his arms, his smile still on his lips

"Around the time you were what four, I was six, before you moved into District two." That's right, her parents and her used to live in the house they lived now, until her father bought them a house over in district two. Meeting with Gale after that would have been hard seeing as he was two grades above her and her father was so busy with his promotion and the family that he hardly visited his friends anymore, so meeting with Gale other than that one time (Even though the town was ridiculously small and it seemed stupid that she had not bumped into him around the schools or even in the plaza or the park until recently) was understandable.

"Ah..." was one of her most genius answers.

"You don't talk much do you?" Gale laughed and Katniss shrugged.

"What can I say? I'm a girl of few words." He laughed handsomely at her and Katniss felt for the first time in months her lips form into a very small but genuine smile.

After that meeting a strange friendship was propelled between the two. Gale found ways to bump into her in the park and she would spend her days outside her house now, instead of inside. Prim was usually on her adventures with Gale.

Eventually; Katniss learned that Gale's father, Jay had died in a car accident back In February of 02. He was in the same fatherless state as she, though he could never really know the pain of losing a parent in such an extraordinary way as she had lost hers.

Days turns into weeks, weeks turned into months and months turned into a year, and their friendship grew stronger and stronger until they became inseparable. Katniss knew everything there was to know about Gale and Gale knew everything there was to know about her…well almost everything. There were still some things over the years that Gale could not overcome.

For starters, Gale didn't know about Katniss's nightmares. She never told him, never said a word so he had no idea about them. Then there were the days when Katniss would practically doubt every word Gale said and look at him as if he betrayed her, she could never explain these days to him because in the end they would be the works of her nightmares in where he was sometimes the face that was connected to the bombs that killed the beautiful little girl in her dreams that she loved so much.

Then there was the fact that no once in all of their friendship had Katniss let Gale set foot in her house. She didn't know why exactly she never let Gale into her house when she had been in his and meet his mother and siblings, but she just couldn't let Gale into her house, something didn't let her.

When Katniss entered middle school, the fact that she had Gale's attention and friendship set off alarms and rumors began to form that Katniss Everdeen and Gale Hawthorne were dating. Neither one confirmed or denied the rumor so of course that was an open topic for gossip any day.

Midway through seventh grade a girl; who had once been tight friends with Katniss before the move to New York, approached her. Katniss didn't know what to make of her and didn't think she was sincere. Maybe she had thought getting close to Katniss would give her popularity or access to Gale...who knew but Katniss didn't accept her friendship again right away.

The first time that Madge Undersee approached her was one morning; she simply came up to Katniss and said Good Morning. When Katniss didn't reply, she didn't try to coax a reply from her but stayed close by. At lunch when Gale would join them (Since Panem middle was the lower level of Panem Senior High, both being one large building), she would nod a hello to Gale and sit silently by Katniss, every once in a while saying something in opinion to what Gale was talking about.

It didn't take long for Katniss to realize that Madge had neither eyes set on Gale nor was she climbing the social ladder. She learned that shortly after the events in New York her parents panicked and forced her into home school for the remainder of her elementary school days and very well into the start of her middle school life (Which explained why Katniss was ignored until now).

Madge told Katniss and Gale about how she had to convince her parents to let her back into public school and when they had, the first face that she could recognize was Katniss's; Then one morning late in March when Madge walked over to her and said her simple.

"Morning" Katniss finally replied for the first time since she had been spoken too.

"Morning Madge." That simple reply was enough to send a wide smile across Madge's face. After that their friendship was pretty much secure because they both knew that she accepted Madge.

Now she had a small group of friends which consisted of Madge and Gale. She was thankful for Madge, as Gale was two grades above them and Madge was the only friend Katniss had in her grade level and of course occasionally the town sweetheart (By this I mean the girl was literally a sweet heart, she could be mean to no one it was in her nature to simple love and accept everyone) Delly Catwright.

Seventh and Eighth grade Katniss hardly remembered what was happening in school other than her friendship with Madge had strengthen, though they hardly spoke of boys and gossip and mainly stuck too literature and music and whatever subject in school they deemed important to discuss that day.

All the while Katniss would have terrible nightmares each night. Each dream so vivid and real that Katniss had to wonder if they were really dreams and fabrications of her own mind… the one face that seemed to resonate often in her dreams was the face of a boy or a man, sometimes a boy sometimes a man. Blue eyes, blonde hair, in her dreams he was someone so important to her, even if in the dream she didn't realize how important he was but when she would wake she knew that her dream self was an idiot for not realizing how important he was to her.

In her dreams she would protect him, fight with him, kiss with him, sleep beside him, fight alongside him to protect something. At times there was a cave, at times there was a train, at times there was a beach, an arena she could not escape. Times he went mental and she tried to reach him and each time she would ask him to stay with her and he would reply.

'_Always'_

Who he was, what he meant were questions she stopped asking herself a long, long time ago, A figure of her imagination, a character of fiction. Someone who did not exist, that's what she had thought anyways, what she had convinced herself to believe…until the summer of ninth grade.

A week after she had turned fifteen, in the late afternoon while Gale did something at home and Madge was in Dance class. While she strolled the sidewalks of the Capitol with Primrose, head down, avoiding everyone, she saw a group of feet approaching her. Two female, two male.

"No." said one of the girls from a distance; she could hear them coming closer.

"Oh come on Johanna! It will be fun!" the other girl pleaded.

"Yeah Jo, Annie's right, the water won't kill you." A boy mocked her, but he did it carefully.

"Finnick, Water can kill ok!" Johanna shot back to the one named Finnick, he laughed softly.

"You don't have to go in." The voice with no name to identify it caught Katniss attention. "You could just sit by the edge of the pool and soak your feet." He suggested.

"That's dangerous isn't it?" Johanna asked she stopped walking and the group stopped with her but Katniss continued forward, drawing closer.

"I'll be right there if anything happens." He said with a warmness in his voice that it even touched Katniss. Johanna seemed to consider this a moment.

"And if anything happens you'll be there to rescue me?" She questioned.

"Of course." He said.

"We won't leave your side Jo." Annie reassured, Johanna must be afraid of water or swimming, was the conclusion Katniss came too.

"We'll be there Jo." Finnick assured and there was a small silence.

"You'll stay with me?" She was asking the three of them, Annie nodded, Finnick winked but the last one said something, and what he said had Katniss's head lifting up and looking straight ahead to where the voice came from.

"Always." He replied. His smiled at Johanna who seemed reassured but the image of him knocked the wind right out of Katniss. The eyes, the smile, the face, everything even the voice was just the same in real life as it was in her dreams. He was real and he had started walking right past her as his friend began to move again but she could not take her eyes off of him.

"Leave it to Peeta to know what to say." Annie said as she smiled at Johanna.

"Touché Mellark, Touché" Finnick said patting his friend who laughed on the back. As they walked away they left Katniss with two things to register.

One, He was real; he wasn't just a dream because she had just seen and heard him. Two, His name was Peeta Mellark.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Chapter all done~ And now that I completely finished reading all the books I have more of a handle on what I want to do and I'm not just blindly guessing. So please review and I will continue this for you!

Next Chapter will probably be in first person, Since like I said the story will alternate back and forth between first and third pov.

I'm working up to her sixteenth year and that's when the story will really being so that won't be until the fourth Chapter or ending of third.

_ButaTokki_


	3. Chapter Two

I own absolutely **nothing** but the Story I am telling. The Characters and Original plot line belong to Suzanne Collins.

This story will be told between 1st person pov and 3rd person pov.

Enjoy.

xoxoxoxox **Chapter Two** oxoxoxoxox

_Peeta Mellark_

The name echoed in my head endlessly. It confused me to no end that Peeta Mellark, was real, that he wasn't a figment of my imagination, that he lived and breathed same as I did. How was the possible? I just didn't understand! Why had I not seen him earlier? Why had I not noticed him earlier?

It bothered me that he had been so close and yet a million miles away from my reach. I remember that day after I heard his name I walked straight home, ran up the stairs and pulled out the Year book from Middle School that Madge forced me to get. Everyone in our class signed it, though I didn't understand why there had been so many people readily willing to sign my year book, it's not like we weren't all going to the same school or something.

I flipped through the pages, looked through the names, down the letter M until I found him. Peeta Mellark, smiling so sweetly at the camera, I stared at him. He was the same, so very much the same in my dreams and in reality. What did it mean? Was it possible that I had seen him before and then incorporated him into my nightmares?

That didn't make sense though, because the nightmares began the night of my father's death and I wouldn't have seen him for a year, assuming he had always lived in Panem. Mellark…Wait a minute….Mellark! That was the name of the town's Bakery! Mellark Bakery. The baker's son! He was the baker's son…which meant…

I jumped out of bed and rushed to my window, opening and looking out to the house not behind mine, but next to it. The house that always had the delicious smell of fresh bread emitting from it, the house that looked so full of life and warmth; He had literally been so close, a few feet every day. He had been living behind me the entire time.

Was it possible, that the boy in my dreams had always been living behind me? Always so ridiculously close and yet impossibly far; had he heard me screaming in the dead of night terrified by my dreams? Had he tried to come comfort me when I so badly needed his arms around me like he did in my dreams? Was he even aware of the fact that I was here? Did he know…the questions circled my head so many times it made me dizzy.

For the rest of the summer the only thing I could think about day and night was about Peeta Mellark, more so at night then in the day when he would come to me in dream. I had never been able to place a name to the boy in my dreams until now. So when I dreamt of him and called out his name, I called out to Peeta.

The weird part was though from the moment I had a name, the dreams became more than just flashes. They were more vivid, more real. Sometimes I could taste the warmth of his lips against mine as we kissed, or feel the touch of his skin over mine when he reached out to touch me. His warmth ignited a need in me…a need of wanting to touch him in reality as I did in the dreams.

It was suffocating, how much I became aware of Peeta over the summer. Looking for clues that linked us together over the years, I could honestly think of nothing though I found that he had written in my yearbook. When I had first read what he had written it had meant nothing, but now I could hear his voice echoing in my ears as I read over the small sentence over and over.

_See you next Year. Don't change. _

It was the same, or almost the same, redundant thing that everyone had written. Though his was simple and to the point without any other words. See you next Year. Don't change. That's all he had written, but inside of me I had over analyzed it over and over and I was already to the point where I was thinking that he was telling me, I'll be watching you again from a distance next year, you're perfect the way you are so don't change. If that was even possible, maybe it really just meant that he'd see me around next school year, and he wrote don't change because everyone wrote that.

Trust me obsessing over a person during the summer was no way to start a school year because when ninth grade rolled around all I could do was search the masses for his face. I couldn't find it in the crowd of students who paraded the halls of Panem Senior High. It hurt actually, not being able to single him out among the thousands of faces that belonged to the student body, I had hoped to I could easily spot him…maybe he was late for school.

He was late that day. Walked into home room on the first day of school about three minutes after the bell had rung, I remember grinning to myself, hiding my face from Madge who sat next to me, because it had not been that I couldn't find him, I just wasn't going to find him because he was late, and apparently he had gotten lost. Anyways the idea that he was in my home room had me nervous and jittery, I hadn't expected to have him in a class so early in the morning.

However high school was full of surprises. Peeta Mellark was in virtually every single one of my classes. He was there for Algebra 1 (Period One, which I hate), he was there for English 1 (Period Eight, Which is fun), He was there for Earth, Space and Science (Period Three, Which...I guess will be the same as last year, just with a fancier name), and he was there for World History (Period Six, which will definitely be the same as last year). He was in all of my basic core classes. Which is four out of the Eight (mind you we had blocked scheduling so that meant four classes each day…Example. You have Periods One through Eight; On _A_ days you have all the even periods, so that would mean Two, Four, Six, and Eight. On _B_ days, we'd have all the odd periods meaning One, Three, Five, and Seven. Which meant each day was alternated throughout the week) In the General courses I had two with him each day.

Now for the remaining four, P.E (Second period, and this would only last for the first Semester, since in the second Semester the class turned into Health) was mandatory although he and I had P.E on the same day we weren't in the same class but I still got to see him regardless. I had Italian as my fourth Period and so did Peeta (Foreign Language in the first year was also Mandatory). My Fifth period was Archery (which by the way was a special course in Panem Senior High School and I took this course with Gale though he was of course my senior and I was his junior, this also had a club which I of course Joined) Peeta's was Art, and for Seventh I took Journalism 1 because Madge begged me to have an elective with her in it, thankfully we were in the same class and surprisingly so was Peeta.

And that was just My Freshmen year…In total I had Six and a half classes with Peeta. Which was more than I could have hoped for, I wasn't sure what to think of it really, every day I would have at least three classes with Peeta and on the days I had P.E we might not have been in the same class but we were in the same GYM and Field which kind of felt like we had class together.

I was so self conscious of Peeta during my freshman year, every little thing he did; I always had my eyes on him. We would never get partnered up during projects which to be honest irked me a little bit. It wasn't fair! I mean one time even Madge got partnered up with him, I think I at least had a right to have been partnered with him, I am the one who dreams about him every night you know!

There was a lot to do (surprisingly for me) in high school. There was the usual Math, Science, History, English and PE but then things like Italian and the odd structure and complications of the language itself, which frankly gave me a headache. Then there was Archery which was tons of fun! Of course our arrows were not pointy, deadly things, no we use Safety Arrows which was as heavy as a real arrow but the tip of the arrow itself was more of a dull point. For beginners (which I was not) they would use the suction tips. Gale and I would have so much fun during our classes and it was the only time I didn't really think about Peeta.

Then there was Journalism which I didn't think would be so hectic. Our teacher had us basically studying and doing things as if we were in the newspaper committee or something, though I heard if you pass Journalism 1 you go onto Journalism 2 and that was pretty much a fancy term for newspaper.

Between Dream Peeta and Real Peeta, my thoughts were basically consumed by all things Peeta. My dreams became more vivid, clearer, more frighteningly Realistic, I was getting closer to the Dream Peeta, However; the closer I got to Dream Peeta, the further away it felt I got to Real Peeta. Half way through freshman year, one weekend in February something interesting happened.

I was in my room on my window seat (my father had the window altered in my room before he died; he made for me sort of like a seat by the window so I could enjoy the scenery comfortably.) I was half way through _Gregor the Overlander_ when I heard Peeta's voice carry itself loudly from his house, in through my window.

"Enough!" He shouted as he walked out into his back yard. I looked up from the book; I had been sitting behind the tinted window and leaned over slightly to look out the open window. He looked terribly upset about something, his mother appearing behind him shortly after. They were arguing.

"No Peeta, how many times do I need to repeat the same thing over and over again!" Mrs. Mellark argued back, clearly as upset as her son. I watched quietly.

"And how many times do I need to tell you that nothing you say will change my mind!"

"Why do you have to be so much like him in every aspect Peeta!" His mother shot at him and he turned quickly, blue eyes blazing with fury.

"Because he is my father!" He spat and his mother shook his head. What were they arguing about I wondered. "Why does it bother you so much, that I am so much like him?"

"It doesn't bother me!" It clearly bothered her; I could see it from the way she was fidgeting.

"Oh please mother give me a break, you hate that I am just like him."

"I hate that you both fell in love with women that will never, ever acknowledge you!" Peeta Mellark…had someone he loved? I'm not going to lie, the revelation had me shifting uncomfortably and a pain began to surge through my heart. "And from the same family too!" That...what? How did she mean…

"What's that saying…like father like son."

"Too much like father." His mother crossed her arms and Peeta ran a hand through his golden hair. "Give her up Peeta, She will never look at you, in the same way her mother never once looked at your father." Oh…Peeta fell in love with the daughter of the woman his father once loved, talk about Irony or some off handed work of fate.

"I can't help loving her mom." He said, though softly and I had to strain my ears to hear him. "I fell in love with her the moment I saw her in Kindergarten, I have not once stopped loving her since." I didn't know what to think of that, to love someone for that many years was something really special.

"She has someone else Peeta, the women in that family once they chose a man that is it for them. They never look at another and she has already chosen a man." His mother reasoned and I watched pain cross Peeta's eyes.

"I know that." He said back sadly. "But I can't help loving her." He put his hands in his pocket. "I think I will always love her and we'll probably have this argument a thousand times but I can't help it."

"You're hurting yourself…and your future wife." She said softly. "If you never let her go, the woman you chose to marry will know your heart and mind don't entirely belong to her and it will make your relationship painful." Peeta looked away from his mother; it came with no difficulty the implications of her words. His mother was suffering because Peeta's father had not let go of that woman he had once loved.

"I know that." He said, looking back at his mom and he smiled at her, so painfully sad. "I just…I can't stop loving her." His mother shook her head and she turned away without another word, their conversation clearly having ended with no resolution.

I watched Peeta from my place at the window, it was the first time I had seen him at his house or more like in his backyard. Usually I might catch a glimpse of him as he walked around the house through the windows, but never had I seen him so clearly out in the open.

I studied him from a distance, really looking at him for the first time. I had studied him so many times in my dreams but this was the first time I really looked at him when I was awake. He was for some reason really beautiful to me, not that I wanted to admit it. He wasn't Gale beautiful because if I placed Gale and Peeta next to one another in a contest Gale would win hands down.

That's not saying that Peeta wasn't beautiful or attractive, because he was. Next to Gale in the school Peeta was second in the eyes of the girls. Gale was manly, he was masculine, and he gave off this very gruff feeling. Kind of like a warrior or something. Peeta was different, he was gentle, warm. Always smiling…Peeta was charming. Where Gale might appear mature and at times distant, Peeta was approachable, amicable.

I wondered if Peeta's eyelashes were as blond and long as they were in my dreams. His face structure was the same, as was his body build. He looked as strong and warm as he did in my dreams. Like he could be a place of refuge and peace, were his arms as strong yet as soft as they were in my dreams? I stared at him for a long time, while he stood starring up to the sky, god knows what was going through his head.

Johanna and Annie appeared later that day, asking Peeta for a favor, something about making Finnick a birthday cake. As they spoke of this my own words echoed in my head as if I was dreaming awake.

"_You're a painter. You're a baker. You like to sleep with the windows open. You never take sugar in your tea. And you always double-knot your shoelaces."_

Shaking my head, I walked away from the window and down the stairs. Primrose was surely waiting for me to take her out. The rest of the month I could think of nothing else but of Peeta and wondered who could be the girl who took a permanent residence in Peeta's heart. I didn't like it that someone had stolen his heart and that he was prisoner to this one girl. I didn't like it at all.

I had a dream in early March, took place shortly before the start of the Quarter Quell. At least that's what the Seventy Fifth Hunger Games was referred to in my dream. It was a dream I had not had before, one that had me watch Peeta in dress that made me look like a fierce bird, which in my dreams were called Mockinjays. He was being interviewed by the same guy with weird blue hair who had interviewed us before.

Peeta during the time of his interview said something that had shocked and outraged not only the audience but even me, because I hid my face and tried to take a handle of the situation. What he had said however I didn't quiet catch but as I woke I found I wanted so badly to know what he had said.

Through the day and during the first three periods of class I could think of nothing else but of my dream, focus on nothing else but my dream. Circling it over and over in my head, trying to see if I could read Peeta's lips and form the sentence I had not heard. What had it been?

By lunch time, I found myself seated in the same place I always sat. Gale was probably waiting in line going to get lunch (I never plan on eating lunch but he always brings me something to eat) Madge already opening her lunch bag and started eating when the full force of Peeta's words in my dream hit me.

"I'm pregnant?" I say dumbfounded, loud enough so that only Madge heard what I said and that was enough to send her into fits of coughs. I turned to her and tried to help her as she gasped for air.

"You're what?" She choked out and I starred at her as she pulled be closer, careful of everyone's ever opened and gossiping ears. "Did you sleep with Gale?" The question shocked me, every coherent thought flew right out of my mind.

"W-what?"

"Did he knock you up, you had sex…" She pressed and I just blinked at her. "How far along are you? Did you just find out?"

"What?" I said pulling away from her, what the heck was she going on about anyways?

"You're pregnant, you just said so."

"NO!" I blurted out, suddenly realizing where her mind was headed "Madge god no!" She pulled me closer hushing me as I began to attract unwanted attention.

"You just said."

"In a dream!" I defended myself, feeling my cheeks burn as a blush crossed my face "I was dreaming that I was pregnant!" I said a little annoyed and relief flooded Madge's face. She released me and exhaled loudly.

"You could have said you were dreaming!" She shot at me and I shook my head. "Well at least it's a change from all your nightmares" She said as she brought a grape to her lips. I nodded.

"Yeah, well not really it was par-" I stopped…wait…WHAT? I turned to Madge who seemed to realize the very same thing as I did and was suddenly very interested in the empty seat next to her. I stared at Madge…I had never once ever told anyone about my nightmares. The only one who knew was my mother who had to shake me awake on particularly violent nights when I would scream terrified, so how in the world did Madge know about my nightmares. "Madge…"

"Hm?" She said not turning to look at me at first. "Yes?" she turned slowly in my direction.

"How do you know about my nightmares?" she bit her lower lip and blinked several times before closing her eyes obviously caught.

"My mom?"

"Your mom?" how the heck did her mother know about that? "How does your mom know!"

"Your mom." She said simply and I blinked at her confused. "You know how my mom is a Psychiatrist?" I nodded. "Well your mom knew you'd never go for a meeting so she asked my mom for help and told her about your nightmares…and my mom told me so I could keep an eye on you…" She trailed off.

"Is that why you wanted to be friends?" I felt a little betrayed. Madge shook her head with a smile.

"Katniss I became your friend months before my mom found out about your nightmares." I looked at her as she smiled; she reached out and took my hand. "I'm your friend because I like you." The smile didn't grace my lips but it was seen in my eyes.

It was the first time I heard Madge tell me she liked me as a friend simply because she liked me as me. It felt nice.

We talked about my nightmares for a bit, not in depth and description but it was nice to know that someone understood why I was irritable and distant at times. When Gale came to the table we changed the subject entirely.

About a week later as I was walking Prim; I decided to go into District Thirteen, you know to walk around town a bit. I walked right by Mellark Bakery and saw Peeta unveiling a birthday cake to Annie and Johanna. The cake was amazing, so absolutely breathe taking. It had something to do with boats and the ocean must be things that Finnick liked, but it was like a masterful work of art.

I couldn't help it when I walked into the Bakery. For the first time since I had seen him in almost a year my eyes meet with Peeta's and they locked if only for a second before I turned away and walked further into the bakery.

"Hello there Katniss." His father said with a smile from behind the counter, he genuinely looked happy to see me.

"Hi Mr. Mellark." I wasn't going to lie. When my father was alive we used to come get sweets at the Bakery all of the time, though I don't know why I never saw Peeta before perhaps because most of the time my eyes were on the sweets or my father.

"What can I get you?" He asked, his voice was so kind, so very Peeta. I wanted so bad to turn around and look to see what Peeta was doing but I forced myself to ignore the fact that he was just right there. I approached the cake section and looked at all the full cakes and their intricate designs and even the pieces of the cakes on display.

"Wow." I said genuinely amazed as I looked at the cakes. "Did you make these?" I asked looking up at Mr. Mellark, he shook his head then pointed behind me and I turned to find he was pointing at Peeta who was explaining something about Finnick's cake to Annie. "He's really good." I said before turning back to Mr. Mellark who smiled proudly. "Which would you recommend?" This was literally the longest conversation I had ever had with Mr. Mellark.

"Well I remember you liked strawberries when you were little." I smiled, I did like strawberries. "How about this?" he moved around behind the counter and from the glass I could see him pull out a small piece of cake, the clear plastic wrapping on the outside kept the cake in place. It was a strawberry shortcake, but it looked like something straight out of a Japanese anime.

The cake was so perfectly layered. It was a light and airy sponge cake, with whipped cream and bright red strawberries on top and inside. It was very much the style of a Japanese cake and looked absolutely stunning.

"Wow…" I whispered softly as I admired Peeta's handy work. "I'll take that." I said as I looked at Mr. Mellark who winked at me. He asked me if I wanted to wrap it or eat it on the go, which I could pretty much do if I wanted too but I decided that I wanted to take it home wrapped and eat it later.

He rung up my cake and after saying goodbye and with one last look in Peeta's direction I was gone, once again walking the streets of Panem. I didn't waste time, not wanting to damage the cake I made my way home quickly. I swear that cake was my new favorite sweet.

Nothing changed between Peeta and me after my trip to the Bakery. I wanted so badly to go up to him and tell him his cake had been delicious. I never did. So life continued as it had, no differently. School let out for the summer the last week of April and a few days later I turned sixteen.

Summer went by quickly and the weekend before the start of my sophomore year a fierce and just random thunder storm hit Panem. I should have known however that on that day my life was going to change, I didn't see it coming though. Around six that afternoon (it was a Saturday), with the storm still waging. I grabbed a raincoat and an umbrella and took Prim on her walk in the Park, regardless of the storm Prim still needed to go.

We were half way through out walk, on our way back to the opening of District Twelve when I noticed that someone was lying, completely soaked against a tree. I hesitated a moment before approaching the person. The closer I got the more I realized that it was a male, and upon further inspection I realized that it was Peeta.

"Peeta!" I called out and rushed towards him, the sound of my voice seemed to wake him up, his blue eyes stared right at me and I felt my heart skip a beat. I reached out and touched his forehead, he was burning up. "You're sick." He nodded. "Do you want me to take you home?" He shook his head. What the heck was he doing out in the middle of a thunderstorm, completely sick?

I thought a moment as I looked at him. He didn't want to go home he probably had another fight with his mother but I couldn't just leave him here in the park, in the middle of a storm, by himself. I bit my lower lip before speaking.

"Do you want to go come home with me?" His eyes shot open again and he looked right at me. Silence filled the two of us for a moment.

"Ok." He finally said. I helped him up and he was so weak he practically had to put his full weight on me, never the less I helped him back to my house. The image of me helping Peeta into the cave crossed my mind as I walked with him.

I didn't realize it at that moment, but from the very second Peeta had agreed to come home with me our lives had intertwined and everything had begun to change. I still remember that day so vividly.

August 16, 2006, two days before the start of my sophomore year of High school

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

End of Chapter. So FINALLY the story has begun! Finally things will begin to get even more interesting.

If anyone is confused by their school scheduling, sorry…I went to a magnet and that's how the schedules were. You'd have A days in where you would see Periods 2-8 and B days when you'd see periods 1-7. The days alternate between A B A B A, and it continues into the next week with how it left off so then if one week it was A B A B A the next week would be B A B A B and so on and so forth.

By the way did Anyone catch my Reference to Suzanne Collins? Kudos if you know what I mean.

The next Chapter is going to be super interesting so stay tuned!

ButaTokki.


	4. Chapter Three

I own absolutely **nothing** but the Story I am telling. The Characters and Original plot line belong to Suzanne Collins.

This story will be told between 1st person pov and 3rd person pov.

Enjoy.

xoxoxoxox **Chapter Three** oxoxoxoxox

It was dark.

By the time Katniss had Peeta about a few feet from the entrance of her front porch; the whole sky had turned incredibly dark. It made absolutely no sense. The wind had picked up and thunder had turned into a powerful roaring lion, the sheer magnificence of it had Katniss trembling. Peeta was somewhere between being awake and blacking out entirely. She had to shake him every so often to wake him up.

The umbrella she had, had been lost somewhere between the walk from the park to her house. Prim was obediently walking beside her especially after Katniss had accidently let go of her leash. Today was not a day to be running around after the small dog. She struggled with Peeta's weight and the fact that he was stumbling as he walked didn't help her at all.

"Peeta." She shook him as she felt him become heavier. "Peeta!" his head shot up, he turned and looked at her. "We're almost there." She said and he grunted his response. They stumbled across her lawn and up the front steps to her front door. It took her a moment to look for her keys and open the door.

Prim ran inside the moment the door opened, Katniss and Peeta nearly tripped over themselves as they entered the house. As Katniss closed the door, however; they lost their balance and the two collided against each other, slamming the door loudly as Peeta's body pressed Katniss against the door. They stayed that way for a moment, Katniss trying to collect her thoughts, Peeta trying to form a thought.

He put his hand by her face and pushed himself off of her, though he visibly had a hard time. He only managed to pull away about a few inches, their faces so incredibly close that when his eyes fluttered opened and Katniss looked into them, she found she had stopped breathing. All thoughts flew right out of her head and she couldn't move.

Neither of them moved, they just stared, thunder rolled and lightening struck illuminating the room but they just couldn't move, they just stared. There was something so strange about being in such close proximity with him. Why, she wondered, wasn't she uncomfortable with him so ridiculously close to her? And why, she wondered, did she have the urge to reach out and kiss him?

Katniss reached up, trying to push him off so she could help him but that action alone started a strange chain of events. The moment Katniss's hand so much as touched Peeta's shoulder, his free hand took hold of her wrist and pinned it to the door. Her heart raced in her chest as he leaned in, so quickly, so smoothly, as if he had done it a million times, and crushed his lips against hers.

It took only a moment for Katniss to register that he had kissed her, and another second to register that her lips had begun to move with his on their own. It was strange how perfectly her lips fit against his, and how naturally they moved in complete unison as if they had kissed so many times before. To be perfectly honest his kiss was gentle, it was inviting and warm. It was almost like she was coming home to his lips after a long, long time.

Peeta pushed them from the door and dragged Katniss's body against his. He pressed her tightly against him and held her by her waist. Katniss's hands found their way around his neck. The taste of Peeta was sweet, like a strawberry.

She liked strawberries. . .

What was this surreal experience? The last thing that crossed her mind when she had asked Peeta to come home with her was this! What if she was dreaming? If she was, lord she didn't ever want to wake up. This impossibly delicious dream was one she never wanted to wake from. Not to mention, it was one incredible first kiss.

The center of gravity seemed to have shifted and at that moment nothing seemed more important to either Katniss or Peeta than the hunger that was erupting inside of them and the need to feed it. They stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over themselves and bumping into furniture. Where Peeta found the strength to lift Katniss right off her feet so that she had them wrapped out his waist, was a mystery. Perhaps the adrenaline rush was to be contributed here.

As Peeta carried Katniss up the stairs, a scene from the movie the Notebook flashed in her mind. She'd remember thinking how things like that never happened in real life…she was clearly proven wrong. She had to guide him with her hands, though their lips hardly ever parted, towards her room. Thankfully she had left the door opened but he just as easily kicked it shut.

They fell onto her bed. Fumbling with each other's clothes, somehow it wasn't until after she had peeled his shirt off of him (which had clung onto him like a second skin since it was soaked) and she touched his bare chest that she remembered that he was burning with a fever. She pushed him off and he rolled over on his back, breathless.

"Shit" she cursed. Not only was he burning up with a fever, he was so incredibly pale. First thing was first, she needed to get him dried up because being in those wet clothes weren't going to help him any. Katniss moved quickly, jumping off the bed and running into the closet to find a pair of clean gym clothes she had put away at the beginning of the school year since it had been a male pair the school had accidentally given her. Coincidence? Or some strange work of fate? She didn't have time to think about it, she'd leave that kind of thinking for later.

She grabbed a free towel as she rushed back towards the bed, where Peeta was either sleeping or trying to make the world stop spinning. She'd need to remember to get some medicine once she got him dried up. The moment she reached the bed, Peeta's hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her down, he rolled over her and pushed her down to the bed.

Seriously where was all this strength coming from?

He somehow found a way to pin her arms over her head. He looked at her a moment before leaning down though he didn't kiss her, he teased her lips with his own. That action had her body burning up, she was thankful they weren't standing because she could feel her legs melt. Was he aware of his actions? Did he know that it was her he was doing this too?

"Katniss" He whispered her name against her lips. Well that answered that question. He shifted slightly, with no effort he pushed her legs apart and settled himself right between her legs, pressing his harden member against her. She gasped and that was all the invitation he needed to kiss her again, his tongue slipping into her mouth and devouring her.

She couldn't think, she honestly couldn't even form a coherent sentence in her mind. How could she? With the way his mouth was kissing her and the gentle touch of his hands as they found their way under her shirt; when he grinded against her, her body instinctively arched against his and electricity coursed through her body.

The hunger she had felt earlier, once again became alive in her.

He was teasing her now, playing with her lips, nibbling at them. His hands trailed her body so softly that they left Goosebumps in their wake. He whispered her name against her lips and it sent shivers down her spine. She wanted more of him but the nagging in the back of her mind that told her he was sick prevented her from taking any further action.

She somehow managed to flip them, so she was straddling him. She wasn't going to lie, being on top was empowering and so much more exciting than being pinned down to the bed. Peeta's hand came to her waist and she felt a shiver of pleasure run through her. She had to use all the strength she could manage not to lose her control especially when Peeta's erection was still very much pressed between her legs.

"Peeta." She said, or moaned. She sat him up and had to grip at her sanity as his lips came seeking hers again, but she stopped him. "You're sick." She whispered, his eyes looked into hers. "You need to get better." The way she said it almost sounded like she was promising that whatever was happening at that a moment would continue the moment he got better. However, even though she had stopped him, she made no move to get off of him.

"I thought I needed to get better." It was the first real sentence he had uttered since she found him.

"You do…"

"Then get off…" he said against her lips, she blushed a moment.

"I'm having a hard time." She closed her eyes. "I need…you to undress." He smirked at her and she hated that she loved that smirk.

"Are you teasing me Katniss?" was he lucid again? Because he seemed to be putting a lot of words into simple and annoying sentences.

"No! Your clothes are wet; you're going to get worse." She argued, trying to stop her cheeks from flaring. Pushing herself off of him, she put the dry clothes on the bed next to him. "I'm going to go change." She mumbled as she hurried off to the closet.

Peeta watched as she scurried off and grinned. God he felt absolutely terrible and it wasn't until she stopped him that he had come to his senses. He didn't know what possessed him to react the way he had the moment she touched him, but he didn't regret it. If this was going to be the only moment in his life where he could kiss Katniss Everdeen senseless then he was going to take advantage of every second.

It took him a moment to clear his fuzzy thoughts and do as she asked him. Taking off what was left of his clothes which would be his pants and underwear, and slipping into the sweats and shirt that had his school logo on it. He lied back on the bed and exhaled. His world was spinning…literally. He was trying to make sense of what had happened and how he had gotten here.

He closed his eyes and tried to think back to before he had been found by Katniss.

He had been feeling crappy all day, knowing that a cold was probably rearing its ugly head. He had the misfortune of leaving his year book open on his bed, to the exact page where Katniss's yearbook picture was seen. His mother, who walked into his room, saw this and that was all it took to send her off into a lecture.

Once again she reminded him about how Katniss would never look at him; how she would never love him or even go as far as acknowledge his presence. She shouted that it was time he grew up and let go of childish fantasies. He had gotten so pissed off and he was downright fed up with her. He yelled at her, fought with her until he couldn't take it anymore and stormed out his house with his mother shouting, though her voice at some point was blocked out and ceased to be heard entirely.

It wasn't until he was more than half way down the street that he realized he had walked into a severe thunder storm. He had one of two options, go back to his house, to his screaming mother or find some place to stay. He stood literally rooted to the ground in thought, letting the hard cold rain pour on him.

He couldn't go to Finnick's house or Annie's, the two had gone together on vacation with their families and they wouldn't be back from Spain until tomorrow evening. Going to Johanna's was out of the question she was at her grandmother's house today. He was literally stranded. He had no place to run too and he was suddenly feeling really cold and weak.

His feet had begun to move again but with no particular destination. The rain was cold and despite that he felt like he was burning up. He reached the entrance of the Capitol and collapsed near the pathway of District 12. He had figured he'd ride the storm outside, and then if he was still alive he'd go back home and hear his mother's insistent nagging.

Never in his life had he anticipated the events that followed. He had been sitting there for a good two minutes when he heard his name being called, and not just anyone was calling him. She, the girl who had stolen his heart so many years before, the person he wished with all his heart would one day see him, was calling him.

Katniss Everdeen.

Her voice sounded so concerned for him, as if she knew him and was worried for him. When she offered to take him home he refused. There was a small silence where he figured he had to be dreaming, she had to be an illusion, a sick induced hallucination and then she offered to take him to her home. His eyes had fluttered opened and he stared at her, unsure whether he was dreaming or if he was awake.

He agreed, regardless. The whole walk to her house seemed surreal and out of place. Not even in his wildest dreams had he ever expected to run about this kind of situation. His whole life he had tried to strike up a conversation or find the nerve to tell her how he felt, but this was so far beyond what he could ever imagine.

So he figured, that moment when he stumbled into her house and accidentally forced his body against her, was the work of someone pulling the strings of fate and something snapped inside of him. Perhaps years of longing and waiting, or perhaps something far more carnal and instinctive, the only thing that really surprised him was how quickly she recovered from the initial shock of the kiss and how naturally she responded; almost as if she too had been waiting a long time for that kiss.

The events that followed after that were history and now he lay sick out of his mind on her bed. Oh how he wished he could rub tonight in his mother's face. He grinned, somehow, life had found a way to prove that woman wrong and he relished in the thought of that.

When Katniss had left the room to go get the cup of water or medicine, Peeta didn't know, but she had and now she was rushing back into the room. The sound of the cup being placed on the night stand had Peeta opening his eyes and turning to look at Katniss.

"Here" she said softly, helping him to sit up. He took the pills she offered him and with the glass she handed to him swallowed them down. She took the cup back and felt his temperature. "The medicine will help the fever to go down." Her voice was like a choir of angels to his ears. Peeta's hand reached out and with his fingers, touched the tip of her braid.

"Thank you." She smiled at that. He laid back down on her bed and made himself comfortable.

"Sleep." She replied gently and he obliged, finally letting his mind surrender to complete darkness.

Katniss watched him for a moment before the night's events hit her full force and the blush crept on her cheeks. What had that been...? She never lost control and especially had never done anything like that ever before in her entire life! Well…maybe there was a lot of kissing in her dreams, but never like that…that was…it was…damn it! It was R rated headed for NC-17!

She couldn't believe the effect Peeta had on her. No one, no male before him could ignite such a need and hunger inside of her that it drove her to the edge of insanity! As the skies roared and flashed, Katniss spent a good part of the night watching Peeta until complete exhaustion took over and she fell asleep on the side of the bed, next to Peeta.

.

.

.

.

Something shifted in the bed, or on it. Either way whatever had moved had caused Peeta to open one of his bright blue eyes. His vision was blurry and he was still drunk from last night's dream. A dream where he had stumbled and fumbled and touched and kissed Katniss Everdeen, a wonderful dream he wished so badly was a reality.

As his vision adjusted Peeta began to notice that the blue walls of his room were now green and the white furniture in his room was now a nice mahogany color. The walls were different, the angle was different, and frankly the whole room was different. It was then he brilliantly registered…

"This isn't my room" he whispered out loud. He would have moved and he did try to move had the small blond dog not rushed up to his face and stared him down. Her blue eyes observed him as he stared back. "Prim?" He asked, he knew that dog anywhere. The small dog cocked its head to the side and continued to watch him, like she was considering something before she moved forward a little more and licked his face before jumping off the bed and scurrying off.

Now why had Primrose, Katniss's dog, just licked him? Why was it in the room he was in? It didn't make much sense or at least it didn't, until he found that his arm carried a foreign weight and when he turned to investigate he was met with the sleeping face of very girl he always thought of. His eyes grew wide with shock as he realized last night's dream wasn't a dream at all.

He could not believe it! Was it really possible that everything that happened last night had been a reality?

"Stop starring at me." Her voice startled him, when had she woken up? Or maybe she wasn't asleep at all, maybe she had just been resting.

"Can't help it." He replied almost automatically and her grey eyes slowly opened, fatigue clouded her eyes but she was looking right at him.

"I'm not used to being stared at when I'm sleeping, it's kind of unsettling." Katniss said in a matter of fact tone.

"I'm not used to waking up with you in my arms, it's kind of perplexing." He answered her with the same tone she used with him and she arched an eyebrow.

"How are you feeling?" She asked him as her hand reached out to touch his forehead. Through out the night Katniss had woken several times as his fever would constantly be spiking up. She'd been taking care of him well into the day, figuring that sleeping next to him was the best way to assess when his fever would come back

"Better." And she nodded though she made no move to retract her hand, is rested on his check ever so tenderly. "Getting better." And she smiled a smile that stole the very life out of him. She was even more beautiful up close.

"Good." She took back her hand and sat up; already he missed the warmth of her body. He watched as she stood and turned to him. "Come down stairs when you get up." Without another word she walked out of her room and he watched her go.

It took Peeta a few minutes to get up and go downstairs, partly because he still felt the effects of his fever, but mainly because he had no idea what would happen once he stepped into that kitchen. At some point Primrose had found her way back into the room and had waited for him until he was ready to go downstairs. She guided him out of Katniss's bedroom, down the hall, down the stairs and right into the kitchen where Katniss was making tea.

She didn't say much of anything; if anything it surprised him when she placed an unsweetened tea before him. How had she known he didn't like sugar in his tea? Strange; Also was it him or had her window been left open? It was like she knew that he liked to sleep with the window open. He lifted the warm tea to his lips and watched as she took a seat across from him.

Would she be getting ready to bring up the kiss?

"You think you can eat?" She asked as she took a sip from her own tea.

"I hope so, I'm hungry." She smiled at him; she was smiling at him a lot lately. "Uh…Katniss?" she looked at him, one eyebrow arched as if asking the question with her eyes. He couldn't bring himself to talk about what happened, because for some off reason he got the notion that what had happened last night was induced by the raging storm.

Whatever passion had come to life between them came and went with the storm. His chance to do anything with her was a small window of opportunity brought on by the fire of the weather's fury but now that the storm had passed and the skies had calmed, his chance with her had also dispersed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. . ." there was a long silence between them, neither spoke a word to the point that that they could hear Prim's soft snores as she had fallen asleep by Katniss's feet. "Did Finnick like his cake?" Katniss asked suddenly catching him off guard.

"Yes." Had she paid attention the day she walked into the bakery? "Did you like yours?" She smiled as she thought of that sweet strawberry cake.

"I loved it."

"Really?" she nodded at him. He didn't know why but that simple comment made him feel proud and incredibly content. He had made something she had loved. . . "What time is it?"

"Almost six." Peeta's eyes grew wide as he looked out the kitchen window, how long had he been asleep for. "I thought you were never going to wake up." She said as she brought the tea to her lips again. How odd, Peeta thought, he wasn't one to sleep soundly through the night or even sleep through the day . . . sleeping, wasn't his favorite thing to do.

"I should get home . . ." He was thinking about how he would have to walk the full fifteen minutes to the other side of district twelve.

"Why?"

"It's a long walk."

"You could just jump fence." Peeta stared at her, what had she just said?

"What?" Katniss blinked and cocked her head, had she said something wrong.

"You could just jump the fence back to your house." Her sentence clearer but he still seemed so confused. "…because…you live….right" she pointed to the back of her house and Peeta turned around but the wall of the kitchen prevented him from putting two and two together.

"What?" Katniss scratched the side of her face and stood. Peeta followed her as she walked across the living room and towards the dining room. She opened the glass door in the dining room and stepping into her backyard pointed to the house almost directly behind hers and Peeta's eyes grew wide. "No way…" he whispered.

He lived in that house his entire life and not once had he been made aware that she had been more than a few feet away from him. He stepped outside and stared at his house baffled.

"Like I said, you can just jump fence." He nodded and not saying anything. After that they didn't really speak much, after a while Katniss handed Peeta his dried clothes in a bag and they said a brief goodbye and with one last look towards Katniss he jumped the fence back to his house.

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Monday morning came, bringing with it the first day of the school year. It marked Katniss's sophomore year. However; with the start of the year came the realization that what happened over the weekend didn't change their relationship at all. For most of the day Peeta and Katniss found once again they had many classes together but they made no move to approach one another or speak. It was as if nothing had happened

That was of course, until lunch.

Madge and Katniss sat together at lunch. Madge going on about her weekend and how the storm had knocked over a tree into her backyard and how she spent all of Sunday helping her father clean the backyard, it was clearly devastating. Gale would shortly join them as per usual he was off somewhere getting lunch.

As Madge talked and Katniss listened, one of the lunch ladies approached their table. Silence fell between them as the older woman known as Sae gently put a small white box before Katniss, the older woman winked and walked away without a word. Katniss stared at the box, a small note was attached to it.

_Thank You_

Was all that the note said but it was all Katniss needed to know who it came from. Though the smile didn't grace her lips it shone in her eyes and brightened her features. Madge didn't talk intrigued by her friend's reaction. Katniss put the note aside and opened the box, the smile in her eyes growing wider and it threaten to fall onto her lips.

Inside the small white box, carefully decorated and crafted was a Japanese Strawberry Shortcake. The red of the strawberry shone in the sun light. She took the cake out of the box and placed it before her on the table, inside the box was a spoon. She stared at the cake for a moment before she took the spoon and took a piece of the cake and ate it.

It was more than delicious. It was something she couldn't describe, like she knew it was made especially for her. The warmth it brought her coursed through out her entire body, and a joyfully innocent smile graced her face. It spread wide and beautifully as she looked down at the cake, like a child. Perfect.

She hadn't realized that everyone around her had stopped talking and just stared at her. She didn't realize the effect her smile had produced in everyone around her, as they watched her, they smiled. Even Gale who had been on his way to the table had stopped dead in his tracks completely mesmerized by her, but he wondered who had sent the cake and how had that person been able to draw out such an amazingly beautiful smile out of her.

"That cake good?" Madge asked in the silence and Katniss turned to Madge, suddenly realizing everyone's eyes were on her.

"Why is everyone starring?"

"No reason." Madge said simply before grinning. "Only that you know…you look breath taking. Marry me?" Katniss laughed a real genuine laugh that shocked everyone.

"No." she said with mirth. The school couldn't return to normal not after that. Although Gale had taken his seat and the chattering resumed everyone was in much better spirits, something about Katniss's smile brought a peace among all of them. No one noticed the moment Katniss looked in Peeta's direction; they didn't notice when he winked at her or when she smiled at him. No one noticed a thing; it was a secret between them.

When school let out and Katniss got home, for some reason she found herself in her backyard and after a few moments she heard the door on the other side of the fence slide open and shut, and footsteps come closer.

"You there?" He asked and Katniss felt her heart skip a beat.

"Yes." She replied, she could picture that beautiful smile of his on his lips.

"I'm sorry I didn't approach you in school." He said, she could feel as he leaned against the fence and she did the same.

"I didn't approach you either." There was a silence. "I mean, it would be odd to act like friends so suddenly wouldn't it?" She asked him, she heard him shift.

"True." He thought a moment. "Maybe we should ease them into our friendship? Everyone else I mean."

"We have a friendship?" Katniss asked and Peeta exhaled, she had a point.

"We have something." He replied and she couldn't agree more. "But we at least need to show everyone else we have something in common, otherwise everyone else will not like it." School life was hard and high school was like a miniature social hierarchy that had its balance and rules.

"Favorite color?" She asked suddenly

"Orange."

"I'm Green…"

"Food?" he asked and she thought.

"Lamb stew."

"Shrimp" and they exhaled, they continued asking questions back and forth and although they learned a lot from one another they found nothing that they had in common, not one small thing. "I can't believe we don't have one thing in common"

"Well…" she said softly. "There was the kiss." Silence followed her sentence. She'd finally brought it up.

"There was that." He finally said. "We also did sleep together." And she nodded but those weren't things they could tell the school or their friends. They both looked up the sky, separated by nothing else but the fence.

"Don't we have anything at all in common other than that?" She asked. It was odd how easily they could get along, how naturally it felt so be near each other yet there was nothing that could tie them together, not a thing. How would they explain it to everyone? Peeta sighed and spoke, softly as if to himself but Katniss heard what he said and the words that came out his lips rocked her to the very core.

"We have the Hunger Games."

** xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

YAY cliff! Do enjoy that cliff~ And Yay a long chapter! I hope you enjoyed this chapter for all that it was, I know the beginning was little wtf since it was their first real meeting but it's there for a reason, trust me.

Review and tell me what you think.

Next chapter to be out shortly.

ButaTokki


	5. Chapter Four

I own absolutely **nothing** but the Story I am telling. The Characters and Original plot line belong to Suzanne Collins.

This story will be told between 1st person pov and 3rd person pov.

Enjoy.

xoxoxoxox **Chapter Four** oxoxoxoxox

_The Hunger Games._

Those had been the words that left Peeta's lips, there was no way I could have imagined it, and no matter how softly he had spoken the words I know I heard correctly. I could never be so desperate as to imagine Peeta saying those words. The words that meant nights of sleepless terror and anguish, those words that plagued me relentlessly every night. No I had not imagined it, Peeta had said them and they shook me.

"What?" I asked, the words leaving my lips before I could even process them.

"No, nothing. I was just talking to myself." He replied from his side of the fence, there was a small cynical chuckle that left his lips. I didn't know what to say or how to continue, how could I? He didn't realize the bomb he'd dropped and I know he was probably going to do the same thing I would do.

Avoid the subject entirely.

It didn't make sense though, how did Peeta know about the Hunger Games? Did he dream about them too? Did he dream about everything I dreamt? It made me anxious, the thought that someone other than I could dream about the same thing. . . something that was supposedly not real. I had to be sure though, I just had to be sure I couldn't just let it go.

"Hmm," I said exhaling then with the same indifferent tone but louder so that he could hear me clearly I said. "Or the Quarter Quell." There was silence, for a long time I could hear nothing but the beat of my own heart or the chirping of a bird in a nearby tree. Had I been wrong? Could it be possible that Peeta had no idea what I was talking about and I really had imagined it?

Then without warning I heard loud ruffling, desperate even. "How do you know about the Quarter Quell?" My head shot up and I looked into Peeta's blue eyes and he balanced himself with his arms over me. My heart beating thunderously in my chest.

"I…"the words wouldn't form and at my hesitation Peeta pushed himself over the fence and landed right in front of me. His hair a complete mess and falling over his face hiding his eyes a bit from me. He was so silent but his eyes searched mine for the answer I could not produce.

"Katniss" he said breathlessly and I gulped, biting my lower lip. "How do you know about the Quarter Quell?"

"How do you know about the Hunger Games?" I shot back and I could visibly see the shock that caused him to take a step back. The air was suddenly thick and breathing, let alone thinking had become difficult. He was suddenly as much at a loss for words as I. Time seemed to pass by so painfully slow and I suddenly became very afraid of what this could all mean.

"I…I" he gulped and looked away for a moment before turning to look at me again, his blue eyes troubled. "I know about the Quarter Quell." He whispered and I heard the gasp that left my lips. I might not have asked him if he knew about it or not, but I didn't need too just in the same way that he didn't need to ask me if I knew about the Hunger Games because that was a silent but loud question that was being asked.

"I know about the Hunger Games." I replied just as breathlessly as him. He took a step forward, opening his mouth as if to say something but then closed it and took a step back. Thinking, he was thinking. I couldn't even form a coherent thought and he was thinking. What was he thinking about? "Peeta. . ." I began but he shook his head clearly not ready to confront the situation.

I stood there watching as he lifted a hand and ran his fingers through his hair. My heart pounded painfully in my chest and I just wanted to disappear. I didn't want to be here, I wanted to turn back time half wishing I had never pressed on for an answer that I knew once I got, everything . . . absolutely everything would change.

I should have known though, the moment that I found Peeta lying by that tree on Saturday, by the way his lips ignited a fire in me and by the fact that I had not had a single nightmare the night Peeta had slept over that nothing would ever be the same, that everything had changed from the very second Peeta had agreed to come home with me.

Life, I thought, had a funny way of messing with me.

"We need to talk about this." He said suddenly pulling me from my thoughts. "I need to understand…because it doesn't make sense…" I nodded and he nodded as I nodded, though he seemed like he was going crazy with his thoughts. He exhaled and licked his lips.

"I need to walk Primrose though."Why did I say that? Maybe because I wanted to be as far as possible from him while I collected by own scattered thoughts, which by the way I doubt I'll be able to fully gather.

"Right," he sighed. "I need to change anyways." I looked at him, realizing he was still in the clothes he wore for school. When he cleared his throat after the long silence I found that it wasn't awkwardness I was feeling, it wasn't dread either more like a heightened sense of anticipation. I was so nervous and excited about where our conversation would lead that it made me feel uneasy.

"I'll be back in an hour." My voice void emotion, I figured if I didn't let him know how anxious I was, I wouldn't scare him off but Peeta for some reason could read me like an open book and my emotionless tone of voice only served to make him smile.

"I'm scared too." His word made me choke on my own words. I wanted to protest and tell him I wasn't scared but I got the feeling Peeta knew me better then I knew myself. "Either way I…What is that?" The expression on his face changed as he looked beyond me towards the fence. I raised my eyebrows, I was still very much leaning against the fence so what could he be seeing?

"What is what?" He moved forward, not looking at me but looking at something beside me. I turned my head trying to see what he was seeing and then I saw it. Unless you were really looking you wouldn't have seen it, which was probably the reason why I had never seen it before. Hidden behind the vines, perfectly camouflaged into the wood, so ingeniously hidden in plain sight; A door handle. I pushed away slightly from the fence and turned my attention to the handle, as curious and confused as the boy standing next to me.

We didn't move, inspecting it for a moment and then Peeta's hand slowly reached out. He placed his fingers behind the flat door handle that could be mistaken by a plank of wood and pulled. Whatever held the door in place, released its hold on the door with a very small and nearly inaudible click, but we heard it. There was a bit of restrain from the door as Peeta pulled it, and then there the sound of plants snapping and the door opened and we found that on the other side of the door was Peeta's backyard.

"Wha-" his unfinished word was my exact thought. What! How was it possible that there was a door that lead from my backyard to Peeta's backyard? Who had built it? And why was it hidden?

"Why is there a door that leads to your backyard…in my backyard?"

"I have no idea." He replied quickly. "He turned to me. "I can ask my father…" I nodded.

"Ok, I'll take Prim out and we'll meet at my house in an hour." Is turned back and looked at him, he seemed troubled. "What?"

"I just…"He exhaled and shook his head "I just get the feeling the Universe is trying to mess with me." He sounded bitter, angry even.

"Why?"

"Because you were so close to me Katniss and I couldn't even reach out to touch you." There was something about the way he said those words that made me stop breathing. I knew what he was implying; I didn't need for him to confirm anything not after that kiss and especially not after what was happening here. It was like between the two of us, silence spoke louder than words. "When you get back," he turned to look at me "I'll wait for you here."

"Wait for me inside." I was looking right at him. "No point in waiting in the hot sun, I'll leave the door unlocked just come in." He reached out, touching my braid again.

"Ok." With that he walked beyond the door, and it closed back into place after him. I waited a moment, waiting to hear him leave and then saw the door open again in the direction of Peeta's house. He seemed to be trying to figure out how the door worked. "It's a swinging door…so obviously it's sprung to close itself." He informed and I arched an eyebrow, was he was seriously teaching me about doors. "This looks like something my father would make." Oh…he was teaching me about his father.

"Or my father…"I replied and we both froze. "You don't think …."

"You can bet I'll find out. See you in an hour Katniss"

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I didn't know what to think, half of me was curious about the door the other part of me was worried about the conversation that was surely waiting for me when I got home. Currently I was sitting at the bench in the park; I'd been sitting there for well over thirty minutes knowing full well I wouldn't be making it back in the time I had said. I just couldn't find the courage to face Peeta right now. Exhaling I looked down towards Primrose who sat by my feet, yawning.

It's strange to explain really, kind of like walking in on something you wished you never saw or heard. My nightmares had been my burden, they were my secret. Madge she knew but I mean she only knew that they were bad dreams, she couldn't name things in the dreams that brought with them so much death and mind numbing fear. How was I supposed to deal with this? Peeta more than knew, I'm sure he lived the nightmares just as I did and by talking about them we would breathe life into them.

I had a feeling that his nightmares could affect his conscious state as much as mine did. Just like when there were times that I couldn't look at Gale in the eyes because of something triggered in my dreams. I'm sure Peeta had times like that too, and to be honest that scared me because there was a point in my dreams where Peeta's eyes looked at me with such hatred that it broke me. I'm sure Peeta, just like me, I'm sure there were days when he couldn't even look at me.

"Hey Catnip" I jumped at little at the sound of Gale's voice. I had not heard him come and I was grateful he was there; at least he could pull me out of my thoughts for the moment.

"Hi Gale," I said softly, already exhausted from my mental wandering.

"What's up? You okay?" He looked at me with concern and I nodded. "You sure?"

"I'm just tired Gale." I leaned my head back closing my eyes, trying to even out my breathing and not think about anything. Gale reached out and gently repositioned my head on his shoulder; I knew what he was telling me. Trust me, you're safe here. I knew I was safe with Gale; he was someone so special to me. "For a little while," I began feeling already as I slipped into dream land. "Let me rest here." Silence followed me and I drifted away.

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I knew what I was dreaming, I knew where I was. Back in that horrible place of darkness but it wasn't the Hunger Games or the Quarter Quell that plagued me this time. No this time I was running through the underground of the capitol, running with all my might as the hissing sound of my name tickled my ears and those around me set to protect me died at the hands of vicious creatures. I'm climbing up a ladder, reaching the surface above ground.

Panic surged through me as I realized I had left everyone behind, I'm frantically trying to gather my thoughts, pulling everyone I can to safety and impulsively going back into the line of fire until someone pushes me back up the ladder and out to the streets. Gale. It was Gale, his uniform shredded and a gaping wound at his neck, ordering me back up, telling me to forget those who were left beneath the surface, but I can't when the cry for help echoes beyond the ladder I feel my heart quench.

"_Someone's alive"_ I look at him, my eyes pleaded with him, pleading to let me go back to save the person who I had left behind, another person whose life I didn't want on my head and whose blood would surely stain my hands.

"_No Katniss_" he says. _"They're not coming."_ He has to hold my shoulders, his own grey eyes looking into mine. _"Only the mutts are." _But that wasn't enough, I refused to accept that reality but as I look down towards where the voice had come from a familiar face looks up at me. He was fighting for his life down there though I could tell by the look in his eyes that he knew he wasn't coming out alive.

When he looked at me, he was smiling, urging me to go. Sadness and perhaps admiration in his eyes for me, then as I saw one of the mutts flung his head back to take the final strike that would end that man's life, I strangely saw his entire life mirrored in his eyes and then the light in them were gone, as if someone had turned off the switch.

I felt a part of me go out with him; another who took with him a piece of my sanity. I reached down grasped onto an object that was in my belt, the Holo, that's what it was called. I gripped the thing in my hands tightly, tears threatening to fall from my eyes and I look down. _"nightlock, nightlock, nightlock!"_ I choked out before releasing it, then scurried and pressed myself against the wall as the explosion rocked the platform and bits of mutt and human flesh shoot out of the pipes. All I can think though is that among the mess that showered us, a friend had been lost.

Someone I can't name quickly rushes to seal close the pipe. There were five of us left. Perhaps we weren't in the Arena of the Hunger Games but it felt no different, I still felt like in some way the capitol was calling the shots but I wouldn't let it end like this. Not this time. This time I would come out more than victorious. _"We can't stay here"_ I say though my voice shakes and I know it's because I'm afraid for everyone else around me. Someone takes out a bandage and quickly begin to tend to the wound on Gale's neck quickly and get him on his feet.

It was then that I notice for the first time that Peeta was there too, huddled against the wall, his body trembling. _"Peeta"_ I say but he doesn't respond. I hesitantly make my way towards him, crouch down to his level and pulled his cuffed hands from his face_. "Peeta?"_ I asked again, his blue eyes no longer blue, they seemed like black pools. Something was taking him away from me and he was struggling with himself to fight it off.

"_Leave me"_ he whispers, I can hear the desperation in his voice. He was protecting me again. _"I can't hang on."_

"_Yes." _I can hear the hysteria in my own voice. _"You can!"_ I was sounding as desperate as him but he shook his head, my heart thumping in my chest and fear once again coursed through me. I couldn't lose him, not again.

"_I'm losing it."_ He reasons, closing his eyes. _"I'll go mad"_ He pressed on, his voice scared, eyes opened as he fought with the monsters in his head. _"Like them."_ Like the mutts, but Peeta wasn't like those rabid beasts bent on ripping my throat out. Peeta was stronger, I knew he was. The capitol and President Snow could try and take him from me but somewhere deep inside of me, so deep that I refused to acknowledge it, I knew that I could never lose Peeta because he was a part of me and I was a part of him.

Doing the only thing that I could think of I leaned in and kissed Peeta full on the mouth. It shocked him maybe as much as it shocked me, but he didn't pull away, didn't resist. I could feel the war in his mind physically over take his body as he shuddered. I didn't release his lips, maybe this was the only way I could reach him, if I poured into that kiss everything he meant to me, how badly I needed him then maybe he would return to me.

I didn't pull away until my lungs were on fire and I was forced to resurface for air, my hands slide up his wrist and tightly took hold of his hands. _"Don't let them take you from me."_ I pleaded softly, I felt myself choking up but I had to fight the tears.

I could see the chaos in his eyes. The internal war as his eyes clouded but he still responded. _"No"_ his voice distant. _"I don't want them to…" _his glazed eyes searched for me though I was so close to him. I clenched his hands tighter, painfully feeling the blood drain from my fingers, reassuring him that I was right there with him.

"_Stay with me."_ His breathing was coming out in quick and shallow pants, sweat trickled down his face. It was painful to watch how he had to pick himself back up. I was watching the way he was taming his inner demons and collecting his shattered self, putting himself back together just so he could come back to me. Slowly his eyes regained their beautiful blue color and with a tired expression and whispered promise he murmurs.

"_Always."_

My eyes shot open as I looked around. I was disoriented unsure where I was but it didn't take long for me to register that the sun that was setting over the horizon meant that I was outside. Suddenly remembering where I had dozed off I turned and looked at Gale, his eyes looking at me confused. I must look crazy. I fell asleep on Gale, that much I knew but for how long had I been out? If the sun was already setting that I fear it might be for longer than I intended.

"How long was I out?" I asked sitting up.

"About an hour and a half." He replied and I cursed under my breath. "What's wrong?" he asked I shot up to my feet Primrose at my heels. My heart beating in my chest so loudly, Gale could be right there in front of me but there was only one person I was thinking about.

"I have to go." I say and he stands. "I'll call you later." Then I took off running, Prim right beside me as I raced back home. Please God, I pleaded, Please let him still be there, let him still be waiting for me. I realized something with that dream, something so incredibly important. I will never be able to survive and be truly happy if I didn't have Peeta. I needed him with me.

My feet carried me faster than I could have hoped, running as the sun set behind me and the streets turned dark. The street lamps turned on as I raced into district twelve. It was there like a reoccurring pattern in each dream. Since the moment I somewhat felt something towards the boy with the bread, I realized that the thing I feared the most from the moment Peeta came into my life, was the day I would never see him again.

It nearly drove me crazy in my dreams when the Capitol had stolen him from me and it had me damn obsessed before I stumbled on him on Saturday. Without Peeta in my life, by my side I felt like the world was a hollow empty place that had no meaning for me. I felt the tears falling from my face as I ran up the stairs to my front porch and practically slammed the door open. Out of breathe and frantic, I looked around.

"Peeta!" The lights were off, no one was here. I felt my heart break in my chest. He had left; he had probably gotten angry with me and left. Desperation had me slamming the door shut and turning on all the lights. I rushed into the kitchen there was a basket with fresh baked bread on the table, the smell invaded my senses and tears spilled softer. I shouldn't have fallen asleep, I should have come back here, to him. "PEETA!" I shouted again, my body trembled as I dashed out of the kitchen and to the backyard.

I pulled the secret door opened and stumbled into his backyard, the lights were off. Was no one home? I felt like air was having a difficult time reaching my lungs. The more desperate I got the more hysterical I became. I couldn't lose Peeta again. I had already nearly lost him in the Hunger Games, I had lost him on the train, He had died in the Quarter Quell and come back, then they took him from me and I had lost him until he found his way back to me. I couldn't be so stupid as to lose him again…not again.

"Peeta!" I shouted as I bolted back towards my house, the secret door swinging shut and back into secret. I rushed into my house and thought a moment. Where could he be, where would he go, if he was angry with me, trying to escape where would Peeta go? I didn't know. I cried out in frustration.

"Kanitss?" I jumped as Peeta's face appeared from the kitchen. My eyes wild and his filled with concern. "Katniss what is it?" He asked stepping out further. How was he in the kitchen, I had just been there! I didn't care though, I just lunged forward and fell right into his arms, and they caught me. He held me tightly comforting me in a way I knew only he could. "It's ok." He whispered and pulled me closer. "I'm right here." He said against my neck and I felt every worry seep out of me, all my hysteria, my fears just vanish in his arms.

"I'm sorry I'm late." I managed to say and he shook his head.

"I knew you would come back."

"How? I didn't even know myself." I admitted and he just leaned further into our embrace.

"Because…" he began "You always come back for me." I know what he meant. In the games I always came back for him, I couldn't leave him behind and during the war even then I couldn't leave him alone. My arms held him tightly afraid that if I let go he would disappear. Maybe they were dreams, but they were so real to the two of us that it was like they were our memories.

"Since when?" I didn't need to elaborate on the question; he knew what I was asking him.

"Since I was ten" he replied and I slowly pulled away from him until I was looking back into those beautiful blue eyes.

"When my father died." My voice was breathless and he leaned forward, his lips gently pressed against mine. I felt my heart melt and the world stopping spinning. I pulled him closer wanting his warmth to envelope me entirely. After a while we pulled away. "I'm ready." And he nodded and guided me back to the kitchen.

It was time to talk about our _dreams_.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo **

End of chapter! Also I left a lot of unanswered questions didn't I? I promise to answer them in the next chapter. Remember this chapter in the future please because this chapter is actually a very important turning point and you'll see why later.

Next chapter we talk about the dreams, the door, and I will leave you with another unanswered question.

Thanks for reading!

ButaTokki.


	6. Chapter Five

I own absolutely **nothing** but the Story I am telling. The Characters and Original plot line belong to Suzanne Collins.

This story will be told between 1st person pov and 3rd person pov.

Enjoy.

xoxoxoxox **Chapter Five** oxoxoxoxox

The silence was long and strained. Neither Katniss nor Peeta wanted to talk as they sat across from each other, warm cups of tea in their hands. How were they supposed to start discussing something that to each one meant something horrible? Katniss watched Peeta as he exhaled and looked down to stare at the dark warmth of his tea. It was really a strange topic to speak about and the whole situation had both of them on edge.

"Your father made the door." He said catching Katniss off guard, well that was certainly not what they had agreed to talk about but she was relieved to find he was currently avoiding the subject.

"My dad?" He nodded.

"I asked my father, you know made it seem like I innocently stumbled upon it and he said it was there when he bought the house."

"Why would my father make that door though?" She asked shifting the warm cup of tea in her hands that brought warmth to her cold fingertips.

"Your mom used to live in our house." Peeta watched as Katniss's eyes open wide with shock and then were riddled with confusion. "Yeah," he chuckled. "Turns out your parents lived behind each other, they fell in love and your dad made the door so whenever they wanted to see each other they weren't more than a few feet away."

"I didn't know that." Katniss whispered but then again there were many things about her parent's relationship she didn't know, simply because she had never asked, never bothered to be informed. She bit her lower lip as a silence fell between them.

"I thought it was strange…" Peeta said suddenly and Katniss turned to him. "My father grew up in district two you know, why buy a house in District 12…" He smiled to himself and looked down and away from her. "I guess he figured that the only thing that could ever possibly connect him to your mother was that house."

"How did he find out though, about the door?"

"Your father showed it to him." Katniss raised an eyebrow and Peeta smiled. " turns out my father was having a hard time on his side of the fence and your father strolled right in and helped him out, startled him at first but your father apologized and all then shortly after that the family moved to district two." Katniss nodded and shifted the cup in her hands.

"Well, that explains that." She whispered softly, troubled that Peeta knew something personal about her parents that she didn't. Silence fell on them again and Katniss found her mind wondering away. What else did she not know about her parents? What else had she not bothered to find out?

"Where do you want to start?" Katniss blinked a few times before she registered what he had asked and she felt her mouth go dry. She shook her head unable to say anything before Peeta stood up, walked over to the counter, and picked up a journal that Katniss had not noticed was laying inconspicuously behind her.

"What is that?" she asked as he made his way back to the seat across from her.

"Character notebook." She cocked her head to the side. "For every person I've meet in my dreams, I've written something about them and drawn them in the book." He explained and opened the journal to show Katniss a picture of herself, flipping the page he pointed to a picture of Gale.

"You dream with Gale too?"

"Yeah. How much do you remember of your dreams?" He asked pulling the notebook back before Katniss could look further. She exhaled and thought.

"A lot and then nothing. Many faces and names are obscured but the events are picture perfect." He nodded.

"Maybe we've dreamt with the same things only I've seen them better, why don't we start from the top then?" and Katniss nodded. They spoke to each other about their lives in the dream before the games. Katniss and Peeta agreed that they lived a common moment which they dubbed _"The day with the Bread" _and continued on until the day of the reaping.

"Right I was standing there, the lady with the ridiculous hair-"

"Effie you mean" Peeta interrupted and Katniss blinked, Peeta opened a page in his book and pointed to a picture he drew " Effie Trinket" he tapped her picture and Katniss nodded.

"Yeah her…wow Peeta you're really good." He smiled but made a motion that told her to continue. "She called someone's name a little girl I think and for some reason I volunteered to take her place."

"Yeah, Primrose" Peeta said already looking through his book.

"Excuse me?" Katniss was taken aback by the name he gave the girl.

"Her name is Primrose Everdeen." He found the page he was looking for and handed the notebook to Katniss. The image of the younger girl pulled her heart strings. She was perfectly painted in with her beautiful blue eyes and silky blonde hair. She was a beautiful child. "She's your sister."

"Wha…sister?" Katniss looked up and towards Peeta who nodded and gently took the book from Katniss.

"Yeah, you're younger sister. You volunteered to enter the Hunger Games in her place to protect her."

"Yeah, I remember feeling a great desperation to get her to safety." Her hand came over her face as the information registered in her mind. "Why would my father name our dog Primrose?" she asked softly and Peeta shrugged.

"I mean I wrote her name in the book long before you came back to Panem, I thought it was strange when you came back with a little blonde, blue eyed dog named Primrose."

"Anyways…" Katniss continued for some reason avoiding the subject "then you were picked and then we were taken into the Justice Building."

"Yeah." Peeta said this with what seemed to be a bit of resentment like he remembered something he didn't like. "She didn't have faith in me even in my dreams." He leaned back into his chair and shook his head.

"Who?"

"My mother." An O shaped formed on her mouth as understanding entered her. His mother…

"Oh! Peeta I think…your father came to visit me at the Justice Building." Peeta blinked.

"My dad?" and she nodded.

"Someone came and gave me cookies; he didn't say anything just gave me cookies." Peeta smiled.

"Sounds like my dad." He shook his bitterness away and scooted closer and they began to talk about everything. They talked about the train ride, meeting Haymitch (at least that's what Peeta says his name was) their mentor, reaching the capitol the chariot rides. Cenna, Peeta explained was the name of Katniss's stylist. They went over every single detail connecting which they had in common and which they didn't.

"Cato?" she scoffed. "The football player?" she blinked, made sense. They were at the point in the dreams where they were training for the hunger games and he spoke about the Careers, or at least that's what they were called.

"Yeah and Glimmer the cheerleader, Clove the softball player and Marvel the baseball player" he seemed amused by Katniss's completely baffled reaction but as he spoke their names he showed her their faces, drawn in their angry expression and training clothes with their district numbers placed on them.

"So..who killed Rue?" Peeta looked at Katniss and he shook his head, her knowing Rue's name didn't surprise him and he must have known how important Rue was to her in her dreams.

"I wasn't there."

"He was from district one." She explained

"Oh, then Marvel." Katniss felt a great anger and hatred course through her at the thought of Marvel killing poor Rue, almost the same way she felt towards Gale when she thought that he indirectly killed Primrose. She winced; it hurt so much more now that the sweet little girl in her dreams now had a face and name. The hours that passed were long but they went through every single detail of the very first Hunger Games.

"We're up to the night of the train." Katniss rose from her seat. Peeta's telling of his complete desperation at realizing he'd lost his leg still fresh in her mind. How he had to cope with knowing that his leg was the price for his life and all Katniss could think was that while he had been suffering and struggling she had just been tied to a bed and drugged.

"At this point you tell me tha-"

"Yes, that it was acted and you ask me how much of it would be left upon our return, I know." She exhaled, looking away from him. It was all so real, she sort of felt like Rose from Titanic, the older woman of course telling the story to her granddaughter and the researchers but at the same time it was like telling the story to another living survivor who could corroborate to what she was saying.

"How long before the Victor's Tour begins?" she asked not wanting to talk about the months she spent practically ignoring Peeta and not really wanting to hear what he had to say surely he would make her feel like a complete idiot and guilt would take residence in her again.

Peeta said nothing at first, watching her with an almost disapproving look as she was avoiding the next couple of months that he was sure she dreamed of all too well. "Uh say four months." He replied after a while and Katniss nodded. She turned back to look at him and she rubbed her face.

"Ok, so four months later I get a nasty visit from President Snow in my home the very day the Victor's Tour begins." Of course the horribly blood and rose smelling man in her dreams was given a name and face courtesy of Peeta's notebook.

"WOAH!" Peeta sat shell shocked. "Rewind, what?"

"Wh…Yea- I mean he was in my house, told me he wasn't convinced and all by us." She muttered and sat down Peeta looking confused. "We spoke about this, I told you this."

"When!" He seemed genuinely confused.

"In District Eleven." It all felt so strange talking about the dreams like they really happened but the way Peeta and Katniss were talking about them they just came alive before them. Like they were a real event, memories they tried to suppress. "During the Victor's Tour Peeta! Oh come on you were pissed!"

"Right after the speeches?" he seemed to be muttering silently to himself trying to recollect that moment. "That's right, the secret room that Haymitch took us too." She nodded that was already skipping forward but they had just admitted to knowing so much without saying it. They continued to talk, pausing to recollect things the other remembered but they didn't.

"Augh, I hate him for that." Katniss grumbled as she put her face in her hand and looked away annoyed and slightly embarrassed as Peeta smiled at her. "He was annoyingly how do you say it?…"

"Provocative?"

"YES!" Katniss threw her hands in the air and Peeta laughed. "With his stupid little sugar cubes." Peeta nodded and opened the page in his book.

"District 4, Winner of the Sixty-Fifth Hunger Games at only 14 years of age." He flipped the book and let the drawing and the photograph startle Katniss. She brought the book closer, starring into the sea green eyes of one of Peeta's best friends.

"Fin…" she whispered to herself. As they told each other their dreams they realized that Peeta had them more clearly than Katniss much more clearly. He could see faces and put names to the faces. Katniss could only associate the event but the names and faces were always obscure, so when Peeta would happen to show her a face she already knew she would always reel from the shock and then accepts it because suddenly the face in her memories became clear. "It's Finnick"

"Yeah, startled me the first time I saw Fin, thought I was hallucinating." Katniss nodded. "Oh and the girl getting naked in the elevator." He flipped the page and Katniss's eyes grew wider. "Yeah I know."

"Johanna!" She exclaimed and Peeta nodded in understanding.

"It started to get real weird for me when more than one character in my dream started coming to life."

"I know what you mean." Katniss exhaled and she scratched her head.

"So where are we?" Peeta asks and Katniss thought for a moment before a sour looked crossed her face.

"You mocking me." She stated simply and a playful and knowing smile crosses Peeta's face and Katniss feels her heart stop beating.

"What, I never you just thought I was." Katniss narrowed her eyes at him and he chuckled. The conversation continued forward, stopping a few times to talk about things like him saying she was pregnant, or Mags death at the cost of their lives or Wiress forever saying tick tock and Johanna's temper. Of course with each recollection Peeta gave Katniss a name and a face.

"Then I shot the arrow up. Last thing I remember was being picked up by a hover craft before waking up in said hover craft on my way to district thirteen." Peeta's eyes seem to look away as she said this, like the memory of what happened to him was much worse, and it was.

"Last thing I remember is being taken away in hover craft and imprisoned at the Capitol. I was knocked out cold for the ride there, someone hit me on the side of the head then when I woke up I was chained to a chair." Katniss rubbed her forehead and sighed.

"I'm sorry." She said suddenly and he turned to look at her. "I was so comfortable in district thirteen, caught up in my own self pity I didn't realize what they were doing to you until you were interviewed." Her voice was hoarse, angry with herself.

"Katniss."

"No Peeta…I don't…it was my job to protect you." Peeta shook his head. "No, yes it was."

"No it wasn't." He was silent for a moment. "No even if we tried they were stilling going to need their Mockingjay, so I had to protect you." Katniss scoffed and leaned back into the chair. "I told you at the beach Katniss, No one needed me. . . . they needed you."

"I needed you." She shot at him unsure as to why she was so angry with him. In how many different ways did she need to tell it to him? maybe it wasn't direct and maybe it wasn't clear but she had told him so many times, shown it to him so many times. "Peeta I needed you!" The dreams were far too much into their reality for them to play it off like it wasn't. "When I realized what the Capitol was doing to you, I broke Peeta, I really did." The tears fell from her eyes. "And then you came back…when you came back." She couldn't finish her words and a strained silence fell between them.

They didn't talk and the more silent they were the more the line between dream and reality blurred. They weren't going to deny it; they felt like they lived it, felt like it was just as real as when they were awake. It had initially worried Katniss how real talking about the dreams would become, she never imagined it would seep so deep into her soul that it would bring forth a fire to grasp onto that dream like reality and birth into it life.

"What was it like?" she asked and Peeta shook his head. "Peeta…what was it like?" her voice broke and Peeta exhaled unsure how to even being that conversation. He rubbed his sweaty hands on his pants and inhaled sharply.

"What do you want me to say?" he shrugged and crossed his arms as he leaned back, Katniss's eyes watched him. "It wasn't a walk in the park." He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. "There were nights I didn't even sleep, tormented by the screams of the people I knew around me. Johanna's screams were particularly painful to hear since they were so close…Cinna he-" Peeta exhaled and rubbed his face. "He resisted a while but eventually whatever they were doing to him won out and his screams I swear they were shattering me. I'd think of Cinna and I'd think of you…how much more beautiful he made you. Everything." Katniss nodded but said nothing just let him speak.

"Then of course there was Darius and Lavinia" Peeta busied his hands with his book, flipping through the pages to show Katniss their faces again just in case she had forgotten what they looked like. "Lavinia she died quickly but Darius…it was hard to watch you know it was worse to listen." Peeta licked his lips.

"They kept us all close, in separate cells but behind bars so you could see and hear outside your own cell. Jo was next to mine, Darius he was across. When they would go to where he was the screams that left his mouth they weren't even human, like a drowning animal you know you can't save."

"And Jo?"

"They drowned her, or tried too anyways." He explained. "They would drown her in water and keep her submerged, they'd do it frequently too always came back around to drown her, torment her, there were nights when she stayed up with me the whole night and throughout the night all she'd do was just scream until her voice died out."

"You?" Peeta shuddered at Katniss's question; he looked tired the memory of the events took his life from his very eyes.

"At first they would just inject me with the stuff you know, to cause me pain so that while they were torturing the others I would be hallucinating so the affect was that much more real and powerful." He explained. "Then they started manipulating my memories, I fought them off for so long but I swear I spent weeks drugged with hackerjacker venom there was a point where I didn't even know what reality was and they took that time to change me, change everything by the time they slowly brought me out their lies had become my reality."

"I know…you tried to kill me." Katniss said with a weak smile and Peeta closed his eyes at the memory of their first encounter after his return from the capitol.

"Sorry." He said plainly. After a little while they continued on with their briefing, talking about everything and Peeta showing Katniss the faces and telling her the names of people who she could not place. Annie was in there at some point and it shocked her just as Finnick and Johanna had. Katniss told Peeta about Gale and Beetee's bomb and Peeta was silent, the same idea had struck him she knew it, she saw it in his eyes.

"Do you also think it was his bomb?" they were up to the point in the dreams where Primrose had cruelly died before her eyes, already feeling the despair sink in the utter feel of emptiness and sorrow.

"I don't know." Peeta replied, he didn't stay on the topic they just continued forward. They talked about everything that happened after the explosions, Katniss told Peeta about visiting Snow and how he reminded her that they promised each other they would never lie to one another and that it was the reason why she decided to kill Coin instead.

"You were going to off yourself after that." Katniss nodded "I stopped you."

"Yeah." She wiped a tear away, Primrose's death suddenly beginning to make her emotional. "Then they drag me off and shut me in my room and that's as far as the dreams ever go."

"Yeah, mine end shortly after I'm taken away and I fall asleep on the bed in my own room." Peeta closed his notebook and looked troubled. "They never go past that. I never know what happens next I just fall asleep open my eyes and I'm awake in my room."

"What you dream everything in one go?"

"Well no, when I dream about that moment that's how it goes otherwise I'm awoken brutally in the middle of the night." Katniss nodded in understanding, it was the same for her. What now she wondered, it was the middle of the night on a school night no less. Tomorrow would be the second day of school but none of it felt real.

"It's the same way here for me Katniss." He said suddenly making her look him in the eyes. "My feelings." Katniss swallowed as he said this. "I'm in love with you."

"How am I supposed to respond to that?"

"You're not." He said standing up, taking his notebook with him as he began to walk out of the kitchen.

"Peeta!" Katniss shouted out, scared she stood from her seat not wanting him to go. He stopped and turned to look at her. "Where were you…just now when I walked into the house?" he raised an eyebrow at her. "The lights were off, you were nowhere to be seen and not in the kitchen cause I checked." Understanding flooded him.

"You're going to kill me but I uh…fell asleep in your room." Katniss closed her eyes and mentally kicked herself for not having thought to check up stairs. "When you came in shouting it scared me awake, for a while I wasn't sure if I was awake or asleep and then I realized I was awake and you were nearing hysteria."

"I…wasn't" she protested slightly but he grinned at her and she let it go.

"It's late" He said cueing that he was about to take his leave. "We have school tomorrow, I should go." The logical thing to do was to get up and walk Peeta over to his side of the fence, probably linger there, the two unwilling to leave but ultimately given their fairly new relationship that had developed over the last couple of days…literally; the logical thing to do was to let him leave.

"Stay." Logic, Katniss argued as the words left her lips, was not something that adhered to either her or Peeta. It felt to them and she knew it wasn't just her that felt like they had known each other for so much longer than just three days. "I won't be able to go to sleep, not really…not without you." Peeta watched her a moment.

"Well it makes sense." He said placing the book back on the table. "You couldn't sleep without me on the train either way." He said coming closer to her. Katniss hadn't realized how much she'd been holding her breath until Peeta reached out and dragged her into his arms. He held her, simply embracing her and it was to them both like they were finally coming home. Being in each other's arms was a haven that nothing and no one else could provide.

"Stay with me." She whispered into his ear as her fingers dug into his shoulder, pulling him closer. Then the words left him as they always did, like they were always ready to be said. As she said this, the memory of Peeta's demons taking over infiltrated them both, and they knew each had recalled the moment by how much tighter they held each other. Remembering how Katniss had to pull Peeta out of his mind and how he fought to reach her again.

It was something so surreal but so real and Katniss could feel herself tremble in his arms, that fear that she could lose him surging through her again and then with his breath tickling her neck her whispered back.

"Always."

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo **

**End of this Chapter~ yay~~~ finally sorry I was being lazy . just you know being a total derpina and procrastinating. Ok so there is a question that will be bothering you guys for a while there isn't it. **

**Just one but it's going to be one hell of an annoying question hehehe.**

**Do enjoy the chapter and leave precious little reviews. Click the review button…you know you want too**

**ButaTokki.**


	7. Chapter Six

I own absolutely **nothing** but the Story I am telling. The Characters and Original plot line belong to Suzanne Collins.

This story will be told between 1st person pov and 3rd person pov.

Enjoy.

**Note:** _This chapter will be told in Katniss and Peeta's point of view, switching between Peeta and Katniss first person pov._

xoxoxoxox **Chapter Six** oxoxoxoxox

_My name is Katniss Everdeen. Why am I not dead? I should be dead. It would be best for everyone if I were dead..._

I'm lying in a bloodstained mattress, my eyes starring endlessly up at the ceiling, no particular thoughts crossing my mind in any specific order. I was just staring. My body felt stiff as if I hadn't moved in days and I most probably haven't. I don't recognize this dream, I haven't had it before but I recognize that I am in a room in the Capitol…My room.

I feel as if my body is void of emotions but the reality is that I'm in so much emotional pain I don't want to feel a thing. My lips begin to move and I can hear my own voice echoed in the silence of this room, bouncing off the walls and right back at me; the sound of my own voice. I know I'm out of it. I know because I feel weak and tired but my lips are still moving and my voice still singing. Tears that I didn't intend to cry begin to slowly make their way out of my eyes but I'm too tired to move so I let them create trails on my dirty face.

Prim's face comes to mind, her beautiful blue eyes smiling at me at first then screaming at me for help. Her body engulfed in flames and all I could really do was watch her. I tried, I know I tried to save her but my little sister had been engorged by the flames and killed in minutes. Prim had been so beautiful, so special. Prim was someone who did not deserve to die the way she had.

"_Are you, are you_

_Coming to the tree_

_Where I told you to run so we'd both be free._

_Strange things did happen here_

_No stranger would it be_

_If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree."_

I knew the song I was singing, knew it well and knew what I was implying to myself. The thought had been circling my head for days and I seemed to be succeeding in my quest for death…or so I thought anyways. I know I was out of it, I do. Half way through my song, deep in my own depression, perhaps a hallucination was triggered, I'm not sure but as my voice continued its melody I could hear the sound of other's voices.

With the little bit of energy I could muster I turned my head. My eyes they were blurry and I couldn't make out who was standing to my left but there was more than one person. One came over and flashed a light in my eyes, he was talking but the only voice I heard was my own which was still singing. The man whose neither face nor name I knew left for a moment and returned with a syringe. He injected something into my arm and after a while I heard my own voice slowly fading. The last lyrics of the song left my lips like a faint whisper.

"___Are you, are you_

___Coming to the tree_

___Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me._

___Strange things did happen here_

___No stranger would it be_

___If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree."_

I turned away from them, the melody still playing in my head and my eyes returned to the ceiling, though it wasn't long before my eye lids became heavy and I closed my eyes knowing that the this strange new dream would be part of the collection that awaited me when I awoke.

I didn't plan to wake up; I was perfectly comfortable with my body tangled up against Katniss's. It had been this way for nearly six months. After that night that Katniss invited me to stay, I don't think I hardly ever saw my room at night anymore. We had grown together, created a bond so deep that not being with one another at night was painful and frightening. I can't imagine what it will be like when the time comes when just sleeping on the same bed won't be enough to satisfy the hunger.

Never the less I know I was awoken by a strange discomfort. I couldn't quite place it at first as I opened my eyes and allowed my vision to adjust to the dark or lack thereof. It took me a moment to register that a small bit of light was peering in from the direction of Katniss's bedroom door. Shifting slightly I turned and froze to have Iris Everdeen's blue eyes staring down at me questionably. One eyebrow arched, arms folded and her head cocked to the side just staring.

I wanted to disappear or shrink and become small so I could escape the woman's gaze but could only stare back at her. She was silent for too long as if she was contemplating something then one of her hands broke free and with a silent gesture told me to meet her down stairs in the kitchen and she was gone. What was I going to do now? This was not the best of ways to introduce myself to Katniss's mother and I was half relieved that her father wasn't around for I don't think he would have been so kind.

It took me a few minutes to muster the courage to get up and leave Katniss. I made sure to leave the door to her room open in case she woke up and called for me. I was imagining the worst on my way down I honestly was. Would Mrs. Everdeen hate me? Was she going to forbid that I ever come into her house again? I didn't want to think the worst but the worst was the only thing I could think of. When I entered the kitchen I felt my heart cry out. She looked so much like Prim…even though Prim was just a dream.

I walked in and sat down, watching silently as she seemed to be making something and then the smell of hot cocoa assaulted my nose and a warm cup was placed before me. She took her seat across from me, not saying a word a first. She took a sip of her hot cocoa, enjoying its thick texture. I took the time to study her. It was understandable that my father loved this woman, if at this age she was beautiful, then she must have been radiant when she was younger.

"Peeta Mellark." I jumped the moment she said my name, not expecting her to really know who I was. "I'm going to admit I didn't see it coming." She said with a smile as her expression finally softened towards me.

"Excuse me?" I asked stupidly not sure what she meant and she chuckled. This woman really was just beautiful. Her blue eyes danced with amusement and the gentle smile on her lips was so warm. She was thin and petite, her golden hair braided to the side just like Katniss.

"I mean I knew it wasn't going to be Gale, but I didn't expect it to be you either." I blinked, as beautiful as she was she wasn't making any bit of sense.

"I'm sorry?" she smiled at me and I couldn't help but want to smile back.

"Do you know of the legend in my family?" She asked brining to cup of cocoa to her lips. I shook my head and she smirked at me. "The women in my family Peeta are curious creatures."

"Aren't all women?" She laughed at that and I smiled.

"True, but we are more curious." She put the cup down. "I never told Katniss about it because I wanted to see if what my mother had told me was true."

"Told you what?" I was curious so I pressed on.

"That the first man the women in my family let into their homes that aren't already family, is the man we choose to stay with for the rest of our lives." She said it so plainly yet so poetically and it froze me. So she was basically telling me that Katniss had chosen me. . .

"But hasn't Gale come inside before?"

"No. Gale has been a good friend but he wasn't the one she chose." She sighed. "I always thought that because my mother told me about the legend, I believed it and played right into its hands. I never told Katniss because I wanted to see how real it really was."

"Everyone thought she'd choose Gale though." I don't know why I was trying to prove her wrong, maybe I was so shocked that Katniss could really chose me. That one day I wasn't going to wake up and she was going to tell me that she didn't want to be a part of my life. I was scared to believe Mrs. Everdeen because if I did believe I would begin to hope and dream about the stars.

"I knew it wasn't Gale from the moment she didn't let him into the house." She chuckled at the thought. "The other thing about the women in my family Peeta is we never choose the man everyone expects us to choose." I was silent. "We always choose the ones that love us the most, that's not to say your father didn't love me a lot." She nailed me; she must have seen a flicker of the question in my eyes because she answered it before I could ask it.

"Did you love him?"

"You father?" I nodded and she smiled at me. "I did. Jacob was my best friend; I had been by his side since I was a child." She said gently. "For a while I also believed that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him however," she paused to take a drink. "I could never let him into my home and I didn't understand why." I watched as she placed the cup down.

"Then you heard him singing." I was talking about Katniss's father and she knew that.

"Then I heard him singing. It took three seconds." I could relate it only took three seconds for me to fall in love with Katniss all those years ago. "I didn't know him for very long. We became friends but I could feel there was something very different about Alder. It didn't really surprise me the day I let him walk through the door of my house…" I nodded in understanding. She did love my dad and she didn't take it for granted his love, it was just that someone else happened; someone who she loved so much more and who loved her just as much as my father or even more.

"Are you going to kick me out?"

"Are you having sex with my daughter?" I chocked on my own saliva and I quickly shook my head.

"No Ma'am" I said trying to gather my thoughts. "We just sleep on the same bed."

"Why?" She seemed genuinely curious.

"It helps with the nightmares." I'm sure she thought I just meant with Katniss since her eyes suddenly filled with understanding and gratitude.

"I thought I haven't heard her screaming as much at night, I actually went to check on her tonight when I was startled to find you there." I blushed and she grinned at me.

"I love you daughter." I wanted to make sure that she understood that.

"I know." She said simply and I was left reeling from shock.

"You do?" and she nodded. "How?"

"Peeta you wouldn't be sitting here enduring this uncomfortable situation if you didn't" she chuckled as I nodded absent mindedly. "I'm glad it's you though." I cocked my head to the side but she didn't elaborate on that. "Just make sure I have warm cheese bread waiting for me and I promise not to kick you out." She said before getting up, putting the cup in the sink and walking out without another word.

I sat there unable to believe that it had been so simple. She hadn't yelled at me or reprimanded me, she simply accepted it. Had it been my mother she would have slapped me across the face and told me never to return to her house. My mother. . . I think sometimes she hates me. Sitting there I felt a bit of jealousy towards Katniss, her mother was so loving and nice. My mother she was cruel and unforgiving, constantly reminding me of what I couldn't have or would never be.

"Who has the last laugh now?" I asked out loud as I sat in the Everdeen kitchen. Katniss had chosen me; she wanted me, that's the reason why I was sitting in this kitchen because I was the one. I felt pride surge through me and a huge grin spread across my face. The day I tell my mother I asked Katniss Everdeen to marry me and that she agreed would be the day I can make her swallow all her words.

I stood up slowly, taking the warm cup of cocoa with me. I looked at the clock on the stove before walking out of the kitchen. 3.03 am and it was a school night too. I would need sleep because in another three hours we had to get up. I made my way back to her room in the dark; already I knew my way easily around her house. When I entered the room I found Katniss sitting on the bed, the moon's light shone in through the window and I could see the troubled expression on her face.

"Katniss?" Peeta's voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I slowly turned in the direction of his voice. I could make out his silhouette and the closer he came into the moon's light the more of him I could see. My racing heart settled as he placed a cup on my night stand and got into bed with me. "What's wrong?" He asked reaching out and touching my face.

I was scared. When I had woken up and not found Peeta by my side I felt fear race through me, more over that dream was so strange and the loneliness and pain I felt transferred into my awoken state and I was a mess. I had hoped to find comfort in Peeta's arm but he had not been there and the fear had only escalated from there. I looked into his blue eyes, eyes that were currently searching mine. Slowly I leaned forward seeking the soft warmth of his lips as comfort.

He kissed my back just as gently as I kissed him, I could feel him silently telling me it was going to be ok, his hand rested on my cheek. When we pulled away I fell into his arms and we found ourselves soon lying back on the bed wrapped around each other. I knew no other arms could ever make me feel as safe and loved as Peeta's. He was my rock, my haven, my refuge. I didn't know what I would ever do without Peeta beside me.

"Where were you?" I asked softly, my hand resting on his chest.

"I was having hot cocoa with your mother." I shifted so I could look up at him curiously.

"My mom?" he nodded. "She…found you?" he grinned.

"Found us." I know I turned three different shaded of red because he chuckled at me. "and…?"

"And I have been ordered to always leave fresh cheese buns for her." He smiled at me and I shook my head. We were silent for a while after that and a little while after that I could feel Peeta's chest rising and dropping steadily and his breathing came out evenly. I turned and looked up at his sleeping face. I couldn't help but admire him, he was beautiful. His eyelashes were so long and blonde behind them hidden were the sky blue eyes that always captured my gaze, his skin the soft ivory color. I reached out and let my fingers gently trace his face.

I could feel my heart in my chest beating quickly and a need to reach out and touch him, to mark him and make him only mine surged through me. He was already mine but some part of me felt like he wasn't entirely mine. Not yet. My fingers lingered at his lips and I stared at them for quite some time, thinking of their soft and cloud like texture or how he always tasted warm like the inside of freshly baked bread. Peeta smelled like flour and spices; of oil and paint. He was my dandelion.

"Peeta…" I whispered his name unsure if he could hear my voice in his sleep. I felt a need in me to say something important to him, something special but I couldn't bring myself to tell him exactly what I wanted to say. "I…" the word lingered in my mind, I knew what I felt towards Peeta but some fear didn't let me say it. "I don't want to go to school tomorrow." I whispered and he smiled at me in his sleep.

"Ok." He replied, so maybe he was a really light sleeper.

_xoxoxoxoxo _

Katniss and I had spent all of Thursday with each other. We had not gone to school and just stayed in each other's company and of course Mrs. Everdeen's who by the way gave us disapproving looks for skipping school. She sat down and spoke with us, warning us about the consequences of unsafe sex and I swear I have never seen Katniss turn that red. I laughed at her when she cried out for her mother to stop talking and she glared at me but we all sat around and drank tea and talked about everything and nothing.

Katniss had asked her mother all sorts of questions about her father and the door. She asked about their relationship and Mrs. Everdeen was all too ready to tell her daughter everything and share anything. Around two she said goodbye and went off to work and I spent the rest of the afternoon with Katniss in her backyard rocking on the bench swing in her backyard.

It was Friday now; we went back to our usual routine of pretending we didn't know each other in school, in front of everyone's always watching eyes. We had decided that we didn't need or want everyone else to be in our business what we learned from our dreams was that we hated how others dictated our relationship and we didn't want that here. Lunch time came around and Finnick, Annie and Johanna sat before me with strange expression's in their eyes….something was up.

"Hello Mellark." Finnick said with a grin and I narrowed my eyes at him. Something was definitely up.

"Hello Odair." I said back with the same tone of voice but letting him know that I was suspicious of his odd behavior. Finnick was my best friend and a mischievous bastard.

"I like Katniss Everdeen" He said simply and I choked on air. OK that was…what was he up too? As far as I'm concerned Finnick Odair had been in love with Annie Cresta…what did Finnick know? I watched him carefully and nodded after a while.

"I see." I said cautiously and his grin grew wider. Johanna next to him was grinning same as he.

"I'm going to go ask her out." He announced and I stared back, I turned to look at Annie who was looking away. She wasn't looking at me because she knew I would be able to see right through her and figure out what they were all up too.

"When?" I asked and Finnick stood, his award winning smile shown down on me and without another word made his way toward Katniss's table and sat in front of her startling Gale and Madge.

"Hello Katniss" I stared at those sea- green eyes as they stared at me. His smirk was a cross between charming and irritating. It reminded me of sugar cubes. I narrowed my eyes at him, had he come to tease me again.

"Finnick." I said his name as if warning him to be careful and that seemed to intrigue him because he raised an eyebrow at me curiously.

"I'm horribly in love with you." Gale next to me began to cough violently and Madge dropped her plastic fork on the table. The entire court yard had gone quite all eyes and ears on us. I however didn't buy it one bit, something was up. I knew Finnick, well in my dreams I knew him and he was always one to instigate. He also loved secrets and I knew he knew something. So I calmly smiled at him and it actually shocked him when I leaned forward challenging him.

"You don't say…" I said back. "I happen to be horribly in love with you too." I could hear Madge gasping next to me and numerous gasps erupt throughout the students. Finnick blinked before it registered in his head that I had caught on and I was playing right along and that seemed to put me on his good side because he smirked at me. We now shared a secret.

"Excellent!" He said his face leaning ridiculously close to mine, our lips merely inches apart. When he spoke again I could feel his breath on my lips. "Meet me at Avox Café after school." I smiled confidently at him and he smiled right back, no one else could tell but we were waging war.

"Ok." I said with a grin. "It's a date." He stood and winked at me before leaving back to his table, my eyes locked with Peeta's for a moment and I could see the way his eyes laughed at what I had done, both of us knowing what had really went down. Beside me I felt Madge press herself against me.

"What was that?" she hissed in a hurried whisper, Gale coming close to listen also curious. I looked at the two and shrugged.

"I got a date."

"And a possible boyfriend!" Madge pressed on.

"Katniss everyone knows that Annie Cresta is in love with that boy!" Gale added trying to reason with me as if to tell me this was a horrible idea.

"She is?" I turned to look at Annie who to everyone else looked down but I saw the small smile on her lips…she also knew…my eyes looked towards Johanna who at that moment turned to look at me and she grinned at me…oh my god she knew too!

"Katniss I know you're dense but how could you have not seen the way Annie looks at Finnick!" Madge said agreeing with Gale. I simply shook my head and she threw her hands up in exasperation.

"I could have sworn Finnick liked Annie too." Gale said more to himself then to us and I turned to him and blinked.

"He's obviously horribly in love with me." Gale gave me a narrowed look and I shrugged. I was more curious to figure out what Finnick knew and what possessed him to come over here to talk to me. . . The end of the day could not come fast enough.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

_End of Chapter! Ehehehe, yes I know its short but oh well. Sooner or later you readers will figure out where I'm taking this, but if you're still confused its okay, it happens. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review~_

_**ButaTokki**_


	8. Chapter Seven

I own absolutely **nothing** but the Story I am telling. The Characters and Original plot line belong to Suzanne Collins.

This story will be told between 1st person pov and 3rd person pov.

Enjoy.

xoxoxoxox **Chapter Seven** oxoxoxoxox

'_How did I end up here?'_

Katniss asked herself as she looked up from the object in her hand and into the sea-green eyes that mocked her. That bastard, and the other two sitting next to him were no better and the other two sitting next to the other two were worse. They were all her natural born enemy. She placed the object down on her coffee table and stared at the five faces that mocked her and the silent blonde beside her on the couch.

How the hell did this happen anyways? Why were Finnick, Annie, Johanna, Rye and Farl all sitting in Katniss's living room? Well if you must know it all began shortly after school let out and Katniss had found herself seated at Avox Café with a cup of coffee starring Finnick Odair down. He sat across from her, sea-green eyes shining with a secret that was most certainty hers, however what was it that made him think he had some kind of leverage over her?

"What do you want Odair?" Katniss asked getting right to the point and catching him off guard. He had hoped she'd sit around biting her nails a little or maybe she would get anxious and paranoid instead Katniss Everdeen sat across from him, arms folded over her chest and her expression annoyed a bit.

"Can't a guy ask a pretty girl out on a date?" He tried to woo her but she scoffed and he felt mildly offended by that. "What, you think I can't date you?"

"No I don't think so." Her tone was rather matter of fact-ly and it bugged Finnick. "What would poor Annie Cresta think?" Finnick's eyes narrowed at Katniss and there was silence. The story of Annie and Finnick was the following. Both Finnick and Annie had grown up in the same neighborhood (District 4) and they lived right next door to one another. Their parents were the best of friend and so were Annie and Finnick.

However; Annie had a reputation for being a little bit weird…ok scratch that really weird. She often claimed she could speak to the dead and was more than once found talking to herself, but Annie's first and only love as known by everyone was Finnick. Finnick on the other hand was known as a popular playboy, he was damn right gorgeous. In fact in the social order of things Annie and Finnick shouldn't even be associating with one another, the only reason it was permitted was because they were childhood friends. Who Finnick really liked no one knew and many believed Finnick was only in love with himself.

Katniss knew better though.

"What are you talking about?" He said watching her carefully and Katniss shrugged.

"I like secrets almost just as much as you do Odair." His attention was completely on her. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours." Finnick had stood up abruptly, grabbed Katniss by the arm and proceeded to drag her towards the Capitol. Once he found a safe spot within the bushes he cornered her.

"Talk Everdeen." Katniss grinned. Well, well, look who was all hot and nervous now.

"You know you can't drag a lady into weird secluded places like these." She looked around as if disturbed. "People will think we're doing things and then" She gasped as if horrified "Oh no word will get to Annie and poor, poor Annie will be heartbroken." How dare she mock him? Finnick thought as he paced back and forth. He had to give her props though no one had ever thrown Annie in his face like she was doing right now.

"You make it sound like Annie's feelings matter to me." Oh cold exterior, yeah that wasn't working for him, Katniss mused with a grin as she crossed her arms.

"Give me some credit Odair." She said and he stopped pacing. "I'm not as stupid as the rest of the student body." They were silent. He studied her a moment before he realized she knew about his feelings.

"So you know." He said softly and she smiled at him. "So go on." His stare harden. "Go on; tell me how it would never work. Tell me how she's a freak and she's going to socially damage me." He was seething and venom was escaping him. There was something about the way he was speaking about Annie's social statues that ticked her off. Annie was special, Annie….damn it, Annie was her charge. When Finnick died in those few moments that she looked into his eyes while she looked down on him from above ground he had left Annie in her care and she'd be damned if he would be the one to hurt her.

She pushed him, hard. Finnick stumbled and tripped over a branch and landed on the floor, Katniss looming over him with anger as she stared down at him. "You're a coward." She spat and it surprised him. "It's you who would damage Annie not the other way around." Finnick went to protest but her words shut him up. "Annie is a wonderful person! She's not a freak, she's not weird! She's just different! And different means there is only one Annie Cresta in the world." Finnick stared at her genuinely surprised. It was strange but Peeta had said the exact same thing to him back in middle school.

"If you don't man up and take her one day someone else will take her from you." She reached out her hand and hesitantly he took it.

"I can't hate you now." He pouted "How did you know anyways?" Katniss smirked at him; she reached into her pocket and took out her cell phone. Quickly she searched through the pictures on her phone until she found the one she was looking for and showed it to him. It was a picture of them during a school Pep rally two months ago. She had originally intended to sneak a picture of Peeta until she caught the look in Finnick's eyes; no one else was paying attention, too engrossed in the activities. No one saw Finnick stop cheering to turn to the girl next to him, and smile. Really smile, his eyes tenderly watching as Annie enjoyed herself and that made his smile that much sweeter.

"You went to grab her hand but hesitated and it was too late, she had turned to you and asked what was wrong and the bravado was back up." Katniss closed her phone and put it away.

"You really are something else." He whispered thinking about how no one else seemed to notice those little things.

"I've seen you at your worst Finnick" She was thinking about when she and Boggs in her dream stumbled upon a half naked Finnick. "I think I would know you."

"What?" and she shook her head. "Hey!" he thought suddenly annoyed. "Hey you stole my thunder, today was supposed to be my big reveal not yours." He protested.

"Yeah what is it you know anyways?" Katniss crossed her arms and he grinned, his playfulness coming back.

"Take me to your house and I'll show you." And so they went to her house, a few minutes after their arrival however Annie, Johanna, Rye, Farl and Peeta knocked on her door and she let them in. Annie and Johanna had claimed that Finnick had called them over and Rye and Farl (Peeta's older brothers) claimed that they were in the neighborhood and that Jo had called Peeta and they had all decided to come but the look in Peeta's eyes told her otherwise.

This had all been planned before hand.

Shortly after that Finnick pulled out a picture and that picture startled and scared Peeta and Katniss and now they sat in her living room. Five smug faces starring at them and Katniss just wanted to kill all of them.

"So?" She asked as if the picture meant nothing. A picture of her and Peeta kissing, a picture she was more than positive was taken yesterday.

"So…" Johanna teased and Katniss looked away as if refusing to elaborate. "Oh you know you're not getting out of this one."

"What are you my mother?" Katniss shot, the two girls glared each other down for a moment but then as if some other force was at work they smiled at one another. A weird friendship was forming here.

"So how long has this" Annie pointed from Katniss to Peeta and then from Peeta to Katniss lazily. "Been going on?" Katniss arched an eyebrow and carefully studied Annie who had a smug look on her face. Traitor; she thought as she watched. Had she not just defended this girl no less than an hour ago and now she sat there mocking her.

"Six months." Katniss said with her arms crossed and the groups eyes opened wide in shock.

"Didn't expect that." Finnick whispered as he looked towards Peeta who was smiling, feeling like a damn boss from his side of the couch. He'd reach out and touch Katniss but she was so annoyed he was afraid she'd break his arm.

"Mom's gonna freak!" Farl laughed as he processed Katniss's words. Farl was the Oldest of the three, a senior in high school, and the same grade as Gale. His eyes however were a much deeper shade of blue, resembling almost the depths of the ocean and his hair was lighter, much lighter than Peeta's. He had a boyish charm to him. He wasn't broad like Peeta, instead he was thin but a bit chubby around the face, he was however fit and muscular.

"Freak isn't the right word, more like explode." Rye was the second oldest. He was a junior in high school. Rye was a mixture of Peeta and Farl. He had Peeta's bright blue eyes but Farl's blonde almost white hair. He wasn't as thin as Farl but not as built as Peeta. You could tell that he was the lazy one in the family because although he wasn't fat he also didn't have any muscle's meaning he was probably the one who lazed around playing video games.

"I don't think we should tell Mom just yet." Peeta spoke up and looked towards Katniss who was already starting to fidget from being so uncomfortable. "How did you guys find out anyways?" he asked the group, all five smirked at him.

"Well it all began yesterday after noon . . . ."

xoxoxoxox_**FlashBack**_xoxoxoxox

"Yo did you see Peeta anywhere in school today?" Farl asked as both he and Rye entered their house. School had just let out and they were finally home for the day. Both boys dumped their books and bags on the dining room table and made their way towards the kitchen clearly starving. Rye shook his head and looked up towards the stairs.

"Maybe he skipped."Rye said with a shrug turning back to his older brother "He could already be back you know." The two stood in silence munching on fresh bread that was sitting on the kitchen table.

"He could be sick." Farl, being the older brother, said a bit concerned. Rye scoffed at that.

"Or maybe he finally figured out Katniss Everdeen lives behind us and he's been staring out his window all day willing her to come home." The two laughed after a moment. In all the years that they've lived in that house Peeta had never once noticed that the girl he had been in love with his whole life was living in the house just behind theirs.

"We should go check on him." Farl said as he made his way out of the kitchen and towards the stairs, Rye following closely behind with an annoyed look on his face. Rye was still munching on his piece of bread as they walked down the hall towards Peeta's room. Casually and rather bored he glanced out of the window in the hall way that overlooked the Everdeen backyard and nearly choked on his piece of bread as his light dark blue eyes landed on his younger brother who was in the Everdeen backyard, sitting on a swinging chair.

"Faaaah-rahhlll!" He choked as he flapped his hands wildly in his older brother's direction. Farl stopped and stared at his younger brother; one brow arched as the boy pushed himself forward and pressed his face sloppily against the glass and gaping.

"What you weirdo?" Rye didn't respond, he simply starred out the window and wordlessly motioned for his older brother to come closer. After a while Farl complied and got close to the window. "What?" He asked and when Rye motioned for him to look out the window and he did, Farl found himself doing the exact same thing as Rye. "Why…is…."

"I don't know." Rye answered both boys with wide eyes staring as their younger brother just sat comfortably on the chair swing. "The boy's gone mental!" Rye exclaimed as he moved away from the window. "This is beyond stalking! What the hell is he doing in the Everdeen house?"Rye exclaimed in a loud whisper, he turned to his older brother "Do you think he figured it out and sneaked over to wait for her."

"NO! Peeta is not that weird!" Farl defended but he felt his defense was weak as he stared out of the window at his younger brother. Other than Peeta being a big time stalker there was no other explanation for why he was at her house and then Farl noticed that the little blonde dog that belonged to Katniss ran out of her house and towards Peeta who leaned down to play with her "Rye…" he said softly and as he said this the girl of the hour walked out of her house with two drinks in her hands, she handed one over to Peeta and took a seat next to him. They appeared to be talking. "Rye!"

The two boys pressed against the window and looked down in bewilderment. Obviously this was an unprecedented development! They watched as Peeta and Katniss talked while swinging gently on the porch swing; Watched as Katniss grabbed the cup right out of Peeta hand, place it down and then with a mischievous look in her eyes threw herself on top of their younger brother so that she was sitting on him.

Peeta looked relaxed and unaffected by this. They continued talking until Peeta said something that rubbed Katniss the wrong way and she went to move away but he held her tightly, he said a few words and she smiled. What happened next had them reeling from the sheer shock. Katniss wrapped her arms around Peeta's neck and kissed him on the lips.

"RYE!" Farl gasped as he hit his brother in disbelief, Rye hit back in the same manner both of them unable to believe what they were seeing. Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen had just locked lips.

" .GOD!" Rye said in a strange fanboy manner.

"What did we lose you to the other side Rye?" Finnick's voice had both brothers turning to him with the mouths agape. Finnick, Johanna and Annie were taken back by their facial expression, a little disturbed actually by Rye's evil grin.

"We have blackmail…" Rye finally said once he could form a coherent thought.

"We have blackmail." Farl agreed with the same evil grin, scaring the three friends who were like family to the Mellark's, so naturally letting themselves in was nothing new.

"Should I be scared?" Johanna asked taking a step back as the two brothers turned to one another and then looked out the window once more. "They've gone mental…" Johanna said to the two beside her whom nodded.

"Get the camera; GET the Camera GET THE CAMERA!" Rye repeated urgently to Farl who dashed into his room down the hall. The other three stood there completely confused.

"What's going on?" Annie asked peering from behind Finnick. Rye motioned them to come towards the window and they did, when Rye pointed out the window and they looked…well they pretty much had the same reaction as the Mellark Brothers.

"Peeta" Johanna said slowly eyes wide.

"Katniss" Annie said with the same shock and disbelief at what she was seeing.

"Kissing…Oh I totally get the blackmail part in this..." Finnick turned to Rye who nodded grinning.

"What the hell is this?" Johanna asked turning to Farl who shrugged as he emerged from his room, camera in hand. Clearly they needed evidence for when the confronted the two, who were sure to deny everything. "Since when has this been going on? I want details!" She pressed.

"How the hell are we supposed to know?" Rye replied. "We just found out too!" Farl took pictures as the group discussed this.

"Peeta hasn't said a thing has he?" Farl asked and Finnick shook his head. "Which means he's trying to keep it a secret and protect his relationship, we all know how Katniss is…she's not fond of attention."

"True." Johanna turned back to the couple, arms crossed but a smile on her face. "He's not saying anything for Katniss…"

"Clearly the chaos that their relationship would cause in school would be catastrophic." Finnick added and they nodded. A flash went off from the camera and it seemed to catch Katniss attention because she turned to face Peeta's house, to which the five teenagers ducked for cover.

"Do you think she saw us?" Annie asked, eyes wild. The other shook their head. No they had to keep it a secret until they could find a way to weasel the information out of the two. . . a plan was quickly brewing and Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark had just become targets.

"Tomorrow at school…" Johanna said and they turned to her. "…we get to find out what happened…" and they nodded grinning, quickly talking amongst themselves planning their form of attack.

Xoxoxoxox _**End of**_ _**FlashBack**_xoxoxoxox

"I knew it." Katniss said darkly as she narrowed her eyes at Peeta who was rubbing his face. The day before he remembered Katniss saying that she felt someone was watching them but Peeta had brushed the idea aside, saying that no one was watching them…boy had he been wrong.

"We won't tell." Annie was the one that spoke and all eyes were on her. "We've talked it over and to be honest…we like you two being together…." Katniss blinked as she stared into Annie's green eyes, the smile on her lips was so soft and gentle.

"Yeah." Finnick agreed as he smiled at his best friend and his new friend Katniss. "We like that you two are together…we won't tell."

"I won't tell…" Johanna trailer grinning at the two "however I will enjoy making the two of you squirm like little mice." Of course, leave it to Johanna to want to put them on the spot.

"Well that's comforting." Peeta scratched the side of his face as Katniss sighed.

"We won't tell" The two other Mellark's said at the same time. Katniss smiled but she still felt weird and just...it was too much to take in too soon.

"I need a drink." She muttered as she stood and walked towards the kitchen, Johanna and Annie for some reason standing up to follow. Katniss had not realized she had just gained a new group of friends and Annie and Johanna were the type who liked to hear every single last detail. The boys in the living room began to chatter and tease Peeta when the knock came to the door.

"I'll get it~" Annie chimed as she walked out of the kitchen, Katniss made no effort to stop her because at this point she didn't really think she could handle whoever was at the door, and towards the front door. When she pulled the door open she was smiled at the guest on the other side. "Oh, Hello~" the way she said that made Katniss freeze.

Johanna decided to take the initiative and poke her head from out of the kitchen. "Who is it?" She asked and Annie motioned for the guests to come in. The first to enter was Madge, shocked as to why Annie Cresta was answering Katniss's door, then just curious with Johanna's face poking out of the kitchen and then confused with all the men in her living room. Gale came next, hesitant at first since this would be the first time he set foot in her house. When he stepped in and saw all the people, he would be the first to speak.

"What's going on here?" Gale's voice made Katniss jump from inside the kitchen causing Johanna to turn to her. She had gone pale and visibly worried.

"We're having an intervention." Johanna said as she poked her head out of the kitchen again. "…have a seat, we'll fill you in." she motions towards the living room. "Peeta…Annie!" She barked. Annie closed the door and rushed into the kitchen and Peeta shot up from his seat in the living room, excused himself and quickly entered the kitchen where Katniss looked like she was hyperventilating.

"Your girlfriend broke." Annie gently smacked Johanna on the arm for her joke. Peeta slowly made his way towards Katniss and for the first time since they were there Annie and Johanna understood just how real their relationship really was. When Katniss wrapped her arms around Peeta like he was her life force and slowly calmed, they realized it wasn't just a game for them.

"You can do this." He whispered and she nodded. "I'll be right beside you." The color slowly returned to her face and she nodded.

"We ready?" Johanna asked and the two broke apart, Katniss inhaled and nodded.

"Let's do this." Katniss prepared herself as she walked out of the kitchen and headed for the living room, preparing to face her two best friends, preparing to tell Gale that she was dating Peeta Mellark.

**xoxoxoxoxox**

And so this is where I leave this~ I do apologize for the long wait, I got caught up in other things. I hope you enjoy this chapter. The next chapter will finally sort of maybe solve the mystery behind the dreams and then there will be a turning point! Do stick around and thanks for your support.

Also as I said I want to make this story no longer than ten chapters with an epilogue, that means it's ending will be soon. Not to worry I have another idea brewing so wait for more information on that new story.

Review~

ButaTokki


	9. Chapter Eight

I own absolutely **nothing** but the Story I am telling. The Characters and Original plot line belong to Suzanne Collins.

This story will be told between 1st person pov and 3rd person pov.

Enjoy.

xoxoxoxox **Chapter Eight **oxoxoxoxox

I feel sick.

Wait no, sick is not a strong enough word. I feel as if the very life in me was fading and perhaps that was exactly what was happening. The world in itself had completely stopped spinning, all sounds muted and all I could see was Peeta's blue eyes. Those eyes that streamed with tears, from his eyes to his lips my eyes shifted and I could see his lips saying my name.

_Katniss_

No, I didn't want to hear him say my name; even with all the sounds gone I could still hear him calling my name. I knew what he wanted to say to me. That he loved me and that it was going to be ok, but it wasn't going to be ok…it wasn't ever going to be ok. I opened my eyes and looked down into his clear blue eyes, his face covered in ash, dirt and blood…his blood.

Looking down further from his face, the sounds were slowly coming back and my own cries echoed in my ears. My hands tightly pressed to his chest but the blood kept gushing out uncontrollably and no matter how much pressure I placed on his chest the blood wasn't stopping. I know he was fighting, I know he was but it was a fight he wasn't going to win and I just didn't want to live with that…I couldn't live with that.

"Katniss." He said my name again and I shook my head, leaning forward to press a shattered kiss on his cold lips. "I love you." He said as I pulled away, I pressed my forehead to his and tried so hard to breathe and think, but all I could think was that I didn't want to lose him, I couldn't lose him. He was the boy with the bread, my only piece of hope…if he died; a huge part of me would die with him.

"Don't leave me…" I cried one of his hands came up and cupped my face. My grey eyes looked down into his blue ones. "Please don't leave me," I watched as one of my tears fell onto his face. "Stay with me Peeta."

"Always" Those were the last words that left his lips, his hand fell from my face and was limp at his side, the last breathe gone and his life had just left without so much as warning. My heart stopped in my chest and I looked down into Peeta's lifeless blue eyes.

"No…" I couldn't accept this. There was no way this was happening. "No! PEETA!" I could hear my own voice slowly rise to hysteria as I repeatedly called out to his name. Shaking him in an attempt to bring the life back into his eyes, but those blue eyes were no longer shining.

"Katniss!" Gale grabbed me and pulled my away from Peeta's body, wrapping his arms around me so that his arms entrapped my own arms. I struggled and fought against him but Gale had always been so strong. The scene around me focused more and I saw that surrounding Peeta, Gale and I were Annie, Madge, Finnick, Johanna and Peeta's brother's. All of who were silently watching as my mental state of mind deteriorated.

"Gale let me go." I cried but his arms tightened around me.

"No Katniss." His voice was soft but I didn't want his sympathy or his compassion. I wanted someone to punch the life back into the boy with the bread. "He's gone."

"NO!" I shouted and stopped moving, I felt my own body quiver. "He's not dead Gale." My voice was hoarse and I stared at Peeta. "He's not dead, he's not dead." I heard Annie cry out I knew that he was dead. What had happened? How in the world had I lost Peeta when this morning everything had been perfect…?

_**. . . . . Earlier that Day . . . .**_

Katniss shot up from her place on the couch. She had for some reason beyond her decided to take a nap, forgetting the consequences that sleeping and dreaming brought. She was covered in her own sweat and breathing heavily. For some reason this dream felt so much more real and recent than any of her previous dreams and frankly she didn't like what she had seen one bit.

"You look like you just had some crazy, hot sex." Johanna's voice had Katniss closing her eyes annoyed before opening them again to glare at the girl who smirked at her from the other end of the couch. Katniss didn't say anything; she was not in any particular mood to deal with Johanna Manson even though she had been dealing with her for the past month.

That's right one month had gone by since Finnick, Annie, Johanna, Madge, Gale and Peeta's brother' had learned the truth to their relationship and now it seemed like they were one big group. It had taken Madge three days to accept it and resign to her crush to Peeta (which Katniss had been surprised to learn about) and it had taken Gale a week to forgive Katniss and accept what was happening. Gale's affection for her had visibly changed from that of a lover to an older brother and Katniss was surprised how much of a difference it was but she was grateful that she didn't lose her best friend.

"Should I call Peeta?" Johanna asked after a while, her voice softening as she took a seat beside Katniss who had sat up. Another thing the group had become aware of was Katniss and Peeta's dreams. Katniss could still remember the look of horror on her friends faces when she and Peeta told them of everything. Finnick seemed the most disturbed of all since he didn't speak for two days. When finally he did speak he looked Katniss in the eyes and said.

"_You better take care of my Annie."_ Katniss had smiled because it felt as if those were the words she needed to hear from Finnick. The bond between all of them seemed to become stronger following the revelation of the dreams and Katniss and Peeta's relationship. Now as Johanna looked at Katniss, her expression soft and understanding, a friendly and comforting hand on Katniss's back, Katniss sighed.

"Yeah…" She whispered softly to her friend who winked and stood from the couch to go find the blond hair, blue eyed baker. Katniss rubbed her eyes and exhaled. She was trying so hard not to let her mind wonder back to the dream she just had but the images were so fresh that they kept resurfacing. Katniss sat perfectly still as the images flashed in her mind quickly.

'_Kill Peeta Mellark'_

Those words in particular circled over and over in her mind. She shuddered, oh God the simple idea of Peeta dying would never sit well with her, even in a dream. She remembered the way she felt when she had believed Peeta had been dead in her dream . . . she had nearly gone crazy. Shaking her head she exhaled again.

"Hey" Peeta's voice caused Katniss to look up and smile as he leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. He sat down and took her hand and she laid her head on his shoulder. "You ok?"

"No." the reply was short but powerful. That simple No told Peeta everything he needed to know. They sat silently for a minute or two before the rest of the gang decided that they weren't going to sit in the kitchen patiently; they were going to come into Katniss's living room and find out just what spooked Katniss awake.

"So?" Rye asked as he took the seat next to her, he took a bite of an apple he had with him and stared at Katniss expectantly. Katniss lifted her head just a bit so she could glare at Peeta's obnoxious older brother. "I'm going to bother you until you talk, you know that."

"We hate him too." Farl said as he took a seat across from Katniss on the opposite couch. The other chuckled as Katniss sat up.

"This is the most exciting part of my day!" Rye explained but the group merely rolled their eyes and continued to ignore them. Johanna walked in with a cup of water and handed it to Katniss; the rest of the group seemed to settle around them and waited until Katniss seemed ready to speak.

"It was strange." Katniss began, holding the cup of water in her hands and looking down to her feet. "It was new. . ." she turned to Peeta "You know like the new dreams, ones we don't have in common." He nodded, everyone was silent. Katniss exhaled once more and shook her head. "I dunno, I was in that room… my room." Her eyes spaced out as she traveled back into the dream. "I was practically naked on the bed, drugged or not. I felt like I was dying but I wasn't." The room was silent, all eyes on her.

"I wasn't alone, I mean I was alone but I wasn't alone. I could hear voices." She scratched her head as she searched her memory. "They were talking."

"What were they saying?" Peeta asked and Katniss looked at Peeta for a long time before speaking, he took hold of her hand as if telling her to take her time.

"That their plan was getting them nowhere, that unless I said the right words they would never be able to do anything." Everyone was just as confused as Katniss was. "Then someone suggested they do something extreme. . . Tragic." Her voice was soft, but pained.

"Tragic?" Anne asked and Katniss nodded. "Tragic, how?"

"Kill Peeta" Katniss's voice was barely above a whisper but they all heard it. They sat shocked unable to speak for a moment. Gale broke the silence.

"What do you mean kill Peeta?. . . Why?" Katniss shook her head.

"I don't know…" she whispered and tightly held onto Peeta's hand and he held back just as tightly. "They said it was a necessary extreme. The right push"

"Push for what?!" Madge asked getting a little flustered at the thought that someone, even a dream someone suggested Peeta's death. Katniss shook her head again.

"That's crazy." Johanna said as she crossed her arms and Katniss inhaled, trying to calm herself.

"I heard Haymitch's voice." Katniss confessed and everyone's attention was on her again. "He said it was crazy, that killing Peeta didn't guarantee I would say it."

"Say what?" Farl asked feeling angry that someone threaten his baby brother's life. Even if it was a dream, they all realized just how real the dreams were to Peeta and Katniss and that meant that whatever happened in the dream consequently affected them in the real world mentally. It angered him that someone would scare Katniss by threatening his younger brother. "What exactly do they want you to say that they would go so far?!"

"I don't know." Katniss said softly. "But it scares me that they would say something like that and Haymitch could do nothing to convince them otherwise."

"Who is _they_?" Finnick asked and they all turned to him. "I mean you don't know who _they_ are so who do you think _they _are?" Katniss shrugged, she couldn't give him a concrete answer because she didn't know. "I'd like to know who_ they_ are so I could give them a piece of my mind."Finnick said with a serious look and a very active index finger.

"Oh yes Fin, because you're going to go into Katniss's subconscious and give it a piece of your mind." Johanna said with sarcasm.

"Hey the dream me can totally give them a piece of his mind." Finnick argued.

"Dude." Rye said in a calm almost monotone voice. "You're dead." Finnick pouted as the rest of them snickered and hid their laughter's. "Remember, some lizard mutt things ate you."

"Technically Katniss blew him up." Johanna corrected and Katniss shot Johanna a glare.

"Thanks, real nice." She said, her voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Just saying." Johanna replied with a shrug.

"It's ok Katniss." Finnick said with a smile. "I forgive you." Finnick could never know how much those words meant to Katniss, to say he forgave her brought tears to her eyes and she looked down and away from everyone. She felt saddened and grateful all at once.

"Ok!" Madge clapped her hands. "Hello we're suppose to go to a Play which starts in about an hour." She reminded the group "We gotta go." She stood as she said that and everyone smiled, thankful for the change in topic. They quickly forgot Katniss's dream and we're out the door to her house in minutes, rushing to get to Panem Theater before the show started.

They got to the theater with twenty seconds to spare and waited outside with the large line of people who were all lined up to see the new play _"The MockingJay"_ the story of a female heroine who went through great lengths in order to bring freedom to her people. Katniss and Peeta remembered when they first heard the name of the play two months ago it had startled them. Now there they stood waiting to see the play with their friends.

"Look!" Annie shrilled practically pressing her face to the poster that hung outside the theater walls. The words _The MockingJay_ titled in huge letters. There was an image of a bird surrounded by flames but Annie was more interested in the credits on the poster than the picture.

"Annie!" Johanna barked pulling the girl away. "Stop being weird in public!"

"I can't help it!" Annie replied with a smirk before turning to Peeta and Katniss. "Besides, LOOK!" She pointed to the poster again. Peeta and Katniss gave each other funny looks before listening to Annie and reading what it said. Katniss nearly plastered her face against the poster had Johanna not held her back.

"No way." Peeta whispered and the others leaned in to see what was going on.

"Woah." Finnick said as he pulled back and looked to Peeta. Katniss just stared at the words, her fingers tracing the name on the poster. A smile formed on her lips . . . she really wanted to see him. The poster read, _Costume Designer Cinna_.

"That's creepy." Rye added and Farl smacked him on the back of the head.

"You see, I had every right to freak out." Annie said with a smirk.

"You sure did." Madge said softly and looked at her best friend who seemed to be in some kind of trance. "Katniss?" Madge touched Katniss's shoulder gently.

"It's always weird finding someone in the real world." Katniss confessed as she turned to look at her friends.

"Real weird," Gale replied. "Was it this weird when you met me?" Katniss nodded and he shook his head. As they stood there talking about Cinna and the weirdness of finding dream people in the real world a commotion was heard near the rear of the line. The group stopped talking and turned to see who it was and Katniss gasped.

They seemed so different but oddly the same. With his corkscrew orange curls and purple lipstick, Flavius was rushing from behind a rather plum woman who was so pale that the pea green of her clothes seemed to make it look as if her skin was pea green itself and Katniss recognized that to be Octavia. Both Octavia and Flavius trailed behind an older woman of about forty, her hair a light blond with grey streaks in it, her eyes Aqua and her lips covered in gold lipstick, she was rushing with the other two who appeared to be in their late twenties.

"Quickly now!" said a voice as they carried the costumes into the back of the theater. "It's a big, big night!" the voice continued and Katniss chuckled as she stared at the woman who rushed them. Her hair was long and blond but held up into an elegant bun, her eyes a bright baby blue and she still looked as clean and proper as she always did. Her fashion the latest and her posture perfect.

"It's Effie" Peeta said gently as Katniss took hold of his hand.

"And Octavia, Flavius and Venia," Katniss laughed a little as she watched them quickly rushing into the theater with all the wardrobe, Effie as anal and bothersome as usual.

"We are way behind schedule!" She protested and Peeta and Katniss burst into laughter. The group gave them weird looks but they could not understand what Peeta and Katniss felt at seeing Effie.

"My god, she's going to pop a vein." Katniss laughed.

"I thought only you could do that." Peeta joined in and they laughed harder.

"Mind cluing us in?" Gale said feeling left out, the others nodded.

"That..." Peeta pointed towards Effie. "Is Effie Trinket, our Capitol Chaperone."

"Chaperone?" Farl questioned and Katniss nodded.

"She was the one who had to escort us to the Capitol." She explained. "She's a real pain in the ass."

"She's nice." Peeta argued softly and Katniss nodded in agreement. "Those over there . . . those three," Peeta pointed to Octavia, Flavius and Venia. "Those are part of Katniss's prep team."

"We're going to have an interesting night." Johanna said and Katniss rolled her eyes. Katniss and Peeta continued to cue in their friends on the roles of the four people they had just seen and how they were related to them. When the line began to move they were all still heavily discussing the Capitol and its strange ways.

"Hey!" They jumped as the words were angrily thrown at them. Katniss and Peeta froze as they stared in to the Grey eyes of the blond man who seemed a bit inebriated. "Pay attention." He shot at them and they held tightly onto the other's hand. The others noticed the change in them but said nothing. "Tickets." He said and Katniss and Peeta handed him their tickets. He let them pass but not without first muttering all sorts of obscenities and how teenagers always had to be a pain in the ass.

They stood waiting for their friends to enter but never took their eyes off the man who worked the front entrance. He wasn't much different either, still the same, still very much painfully Haymitch. Katniss felt the tears escape her eyes and Peeta squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Let me guess." Johanna said as she approached them. "Another dream appearance." Katniss nodded.

"Who is it this time?" Gale asked, he stood next to Johanna who turned to give him a weird look as he was a little too close for her comfort.

"Haymitch Abernathy." Peeta said as the rest of them came to them. "Our mentor. Our friend."

"Another pain in the ass." Katniss replied and they all chuckled. "It's strange though." All eyes were on her, Katniss's voice was low as she spoke. "That all of the ones that meant so much to us in the dreams are all under one roof."

"Maybe it's an omen." Rye said in a spooky voice and wiggled his fingers, Farl once again smacking his brother on the back of the head. "Stop that! It hurts!"

"I know." Farl said as he crossed his arms annoyed and Rye stuck his tongue out at him. Peeta smiled at his brothers. Strangely though as Farl and Rye turned to Peeta the two felt something was a off because they stared at their little brother a little while longer.

"You guys are retarded." Peeta laughed and Farl felt his heart skip a bit as if he knew that would be the last time he would ever hear his baby brother's laughter.

"Only for you little bro, you know we love you." Farl said putting an arm around Peeta as they started walking. "Only for your entertainment are we retarded."

"Ours too." Johanna joked and the group laughed. Rye walked silently on the other side of Peeta as Katniss had stopped with Annie and Madge to help Annie with her dress.

"Maybe I'm still spooked about what Katniss said earlier or something." Rye said softly to his little brother and both Farl and Peeta turned to look at him. "But I hope you know I would be devastated if I ever lost you." The three stopped walking. "I love you Peeta, you're my little bro man."

"I love you too." Farl added. Peeta stared at them a little freaked out for a moment before pushing them both playfully.

"Stop being gross." He laughed and the brothers all laughed together. As Katniss caught up to Peeta she took hold of his hand and they continued into the auditorium and towards their seats. As they sat down however Peeta shouted loudly in front of the people while pointing at his brothers "I LOVE THESE TWO GUYS OVER HERE!" the Auditorium burst into laughter and "Ooooh~" from all around them. Farl and Rye who sat behind Peeta kicked his seat embarrassed but happy.

"Thank you for that call of attention." Gale's voice sounded sarcastic and Madge giggled. He took a seat next to Johanna who once again turned to give him a weird look at his proximity. They settled into their seats, talking while they waited for the show to start. When the lights finally dimmed and the light was shone on the stage the audience quieted down. Peeta brought Katniss's hand to his lips and kissed it gently.

"What's that for?" Katniss asked softly as the actors appeared on the stage. Peeta turned and his bright blue eyes stared into her grey once lovingly.

"No reason." He replied just as softly. "I just love you." Katniss smiled as she stared at him.

"Me too," He smiled at her tenderly at her words. It would be the last time Katniss would ever see that special smile on his lips. That smile that was so tender and loving and reserved especially for her. Had she known that, she might have stared at that smile a little longer but instead unknowing what was about to happen she turned to the stage to watch as the lead actress came out in a dress that was lit up in flames and then. . .

BANG!

_**Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**_

And there is it Chapter Eight. I do Apologize that this took so long to be released but I had to think carefully how I wanted this to play out since there are just two more chapters left.

Yes, I had always since the first chapter intended on killing Peeta, but there is a reason why. If you haven't caught on yet, then don't worry everything will be made a hell of a lot more clear in the next chapter and finally the mystery of the dreams will be revealed.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter~

R&R

Much love and thanks for the support!

**ButaTokki.**


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